A £1m initiative to repair pavements is being launched in Kirklees.

Council chiefs are responding to a big rise in compensation claims by people who have tripped and fallen.

Cash will be spent in areas which have the highest accident rates.

The £1m spending spree is on top of £500,000 already earmarked to put pavements in good order.

Labour councillors who called for the move said they were delighted.

Clr Mehboob Khan, leader of the Labour group, said: "We are concerned at the awful state of pavements in Kirklees.

"Their condition has rapidly deteriorated during the last three years and we want to reverse the decline."

He said West Yorkshire councils had paid out millions of pounds in compensation.

Claims in Kirklees are running at more than £1m a year.

Clr Khan said: "I welcome this investment in preventing accidents and ending costly payouts for injuries.

"Significant improvements should be visible if this amount of cash is invested every year."

Plans were due to be finalised at this afternoon's meeting (Wed) of the council cabinet.

Each of the council's 24 electoral wards will get £20,000 for local councillors to decide how to spend.

Area committees are being asked to act quickly on where the money should be used.

Clr David Payne, cabinet member responsible for environment and transport, said: "Rather than highways officers or the cabinet deciding how all that money is spent, it is proposed that half the money goes on known high accident hotspots, and half allocated to each ward for local decision-making through area committees.

"So that local issues can be tackled quickly the simple criteria will, in the main, centre on replacing damaged flagstones with tarmac surfacing where possible and appropriate."

He admitted highways officers had a huge dossier of pavement complaints.

They will make suggestions to councillors in their local area as to which they think should be tackled first.

But ultimately it will be for local councillors, through the area committees, to decide where the money is spent.

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