Barnet Council has been blasted as having “one rule for one and one rule for another” as residents’ frustrations over faulty pavement improvement work boiled over at a public forum.

The Finchley and Golders Green residents’ forum played host to a large gathering of constituents dissatisfied with the repaving along their streets using asphalt which easily chips away underfoot.

Residents from Abbots Gardens, Beresford Road and Granville Road filled Avenue House in East End Road to air their frustrations at councillors and officers tonight (October 26).

Key to the complaints of Beresford Road residents was how their proximity to East Finchley town centre was not reflected in the quality of the paving they received when the council reworked it.

READ MORE: Abbots Gardens, East Finchley one of many roads in Barnet blighted by sub-standard asphalt work chipping away easily

Resident Simon Partridge said: “Kitchener Road just at the bottom of our street was done up beautifully, so much so we on Beresford Road could not wait to have our pavements reworked.

“You can imagine our disappointment when the workers came in to do what had been identified as a 17-week job in a rushed 10 days, leaving uneven, poor-quality asphalt on our pavements.

“We were not even given enough warning of this procedure by the council, who promise to reply to all complaints in 10 days – the work was done and dusted by then.

“Our street is a wonderful community, right at the heart of East Finchley – but it is pathways like East Barnet Road in another part of the borough entirely nowhere near shops or high roads which are currently being reworked with high-quality slabs.

“It seems like one rule for one and one rule for another, depending which ward you are in so I want to know why our street has gone so neglected while others benefit for the reworking.”

READ MORE: Barnet Council accused of 'misleading the public' by Labour group as £50 million pavement improvement scheme rolls out

Labour councillors have recently criticised the council after receiving complaints from their ward constituents about the quality of repaving on their streets.

East Finchley councillor Alison Moore said: “These are not the first roads in Barnet where we have had these problems and I am really concerned how residents are still having to speak up about it.

“These problems were raised eight or nine months ago and this has still not been solved throughout the borough.”

The council has so far renewed 88 pavements as part of a five-year initiative to revitalise Barnet’s footpaths, costing £50 million overall.

According to a council survey, 91 per cent of residents have described the works as an improvement.

At the forum, Conservative councillor for Childs Hill Shimon Ryde was sympathetic to complaints and pledged to refer them to the relevant council officers and committees.

READ MORE: Barnet Council to spend £8 million fixing cracked pavements this year alone

He said: “I believe the type of paving on each street is selected case-by-case by what is assessed to be best suited and most cost-effective.

“If residents are dissatisfied we are here to take their complaints and officers will investigate individual cases where residents believe the paving has not gone successfully.

“The environment committee is probably the best to bring these worries to.”

The next environment committee is scheduled to meet at 7pm on Tuesday, November 8 at Hendon town hall in the Burroughs, which can be attended by members of the public.