Council Agrees Surrey Heath Roads & Verges are Terrible!

9.34.45am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 23rd Jul 2008

Surrey Heath roads will soon be like this if the County Council doesn't act soon!

There was unanimous, all party agreement at last week's Full Council meeting at Surrey Heath when the Lib Dem group moved a motion about the state of the Borough's roads and verges. The full motion read:

'In view of the high levels of resident dissatisfaction with the condition of the roads, verges and pavements in Surrey Heath, this Council requests the Chief Executive to write to Surrey County Council requesting them to undertake a feasibility study, in cooperation with this Council, into the possibility of returning to the situation when this Council managed Highway maintenance matters under a properly resourced agency arrangement with the County Council.'

Speakers at the meeting generally agreed that maintenance levels had been far better when the local Borough Council had responsibility for the upkeep of local road and verges. It was agreed that this was because it was far easier to respond to local needs when the maintenance facilities were organised at a borough level.

After the meeting Lib Dem Group Leader David Whitcroft said, "We would be very surprised if the County were prepared to hand back the Highways Agency that Surrey Heath Council held for many years. The motion - and subsequent letter from the Chief Executive - might, however, bring home to Surrey County Council the concern there is in the Borough about the poor state of maintenance. Hardly a day goes by when local Councillors don't receive complaints from residents about the lack of maintenance and it is about time the County Council did something positive about it."