When work on Essex potholes will start after harsh winter
A senior Essex councillor has promised residents will see work on potholes blighting the county’s roads carried out in “weeks.” Essex County Councillor[1] Lee Scott (Con, Chigwell and Loughton Broadway), said a difficult winter and staff vacancies had worsened the state of local roads.
But speaking to district and parish councillors in Epping Forest[2] at a meeting last night (March 28) Cllr Scott, who is the county cabinet member responsible for highways and sustainable transport, said there would be an extra £14.4million extra spent on the roads this financial year.
He said: “This has been a particularly difficult winter. We’ve had snow, loads of rain, snow again, freezing temperatures. And the same people who are repairing the roads are out driving the gritters tonight. Normally by this time of year we’re not gritting any longer, but we are still gritting and that again creates a problem.” He later said: “You will see a lot of works happening in these coming weeks.”
Essex County Council allocated £9m in its budget earlier this year to be spent on highways. According to Cllr Scott, £5.4m was announced in the national government’s budget for Essex roads. Councillor Jeane Lea (Con, Waltham Abbey North East) asked why road signs are not being collected after works have been finished. She said: “They’re all over the place and they must cost money, so why are they never collected up?”
Cllr Scott said the majority of the works come from utility companies and the county council contacts them if signs are left behind. He continued to say it is an ongoing task to get the companies to keep to their own work timetables, tell the county council when works will happen and to clear road signs afterwards.
Epping Forest’s cabinet member for housing and county councillor Holly Whitbread (Con, Epping Lindsey and Thornwood Common) said roads through the district’s estates are sometimes left behind. She said: “I do notice our estate roads are in a particularly poor condition, but obviously as main routes they’re not alway put as the first priority.”
Cllr Scott said old concrete roads had been covered by tarmac in the past which in some estates has been worn down, but the integrity of the roads underneith remain good. He main roads, specifically the P1 and P2 categories, were the top priorities for the county coucil, followed by “secondary” roads through estates.
References
- ^ Essex County Councillor (www.essexlive.news)
- ^ Epping Forest (www.essexlive.news)
- ^ PTSD, evictions and the ‘legal aid desert’ where few can help – inside Essex’s desperate housing crisis (www.essexlive.news)