Everyone is aware of the situation with highways maintenance we see it in local roads and across the country. We see it every time we leave our homes. This is a consequence of 14 years of underfunding.

Not only are the roads suffering but the back end systems, the systems used to process the orders to fix the roads are in the same state of disrepair. When we took control of the County Council from the Conservatives we discovered the Report a Fault maintenance reporting system was commissioned in 1998. We are decades behind other councils.

Tools to do the job

A new Reporting tool is coming very soon but it has taken 3 years to have the right staff in place within the council to be in a place where we are confident that the massive investment we will make in this tool will be in the right tool, for the right price and will do the job.

Scrutinising the work

When we arrived at the council the level of scrutiny of Milestone, the contractors responsible for delivering road maintenance, was so poor that we were spending millions on jobs that weren’t being done. We have changed that but none of this change happens over night. It is hard and difficult. Before you can put things right you have to work out what the problem is and there are still many more issues. Furthermore there is still not enough money to fix our roads coming from government.

I have published a sister article to this listing the ‘capital maintenance priorities’ jobs I am submitting to be considered. These are jobs which require a larger spend than ‘reactive maintenance’ ie individual pot hole repair. To an extent this is an accounting sleight of hand. It’s difficult to explain why, for example, 5 pot holes are reactive maintenance and 6 fall into ‘capital maintenance projects’ but we are where we are. Furthermore we are all aware of instances where had the first pot hole been fixed in a timely manner it wouldn’t have needed the bigger spend but the challenges within the county council to begin to put highways maintenance on an even and fair footing and to get a process in place where these jobs are happening when first raised are extraordinary.

Capital Maintenance Highways Projects – short history summer 2024

Over the summer I was asked to submit my absolute top priority areas. I submitted the list below knowing that a long list would not be considered. The council’s behaviour in regards to this list has been extremely poor. I have been given the run around, been lead to believe work was going to happening and then had the promises withdrawn. I have had confirmation that the three raised tables I submitted will be improved. This is not good enough but I did want to show the work I have put in into trying to get the serious challenges in our communities addressed.

Alongside this I have been working in a very detailed was on drainage, blocked gulleys and specific drainage improvements in the worst areas of the village.

Previous list and council responses.

High Street & School Hill, Histon Histon High Street & School Hill from Coop to the St Andrews Centre, both sides along the High Street to bus stop on School Hill on the north side Footway and cycleway Quality of the footway – I want it to be sufficiently good quality to allow wheelchair users and those with poor mobility to use the footway.  It is currently inconsistent and in poor quality in places. Footway patching and pothole repairs

Council response- Footway patching and pothole repairs significant maintenance not deemed a priority.

School Hill At the triangular junction with the High Street. Carriageway The quality of the road surface is so poor in this area as to make it almost impossible to cycle and extremely dangerous.

Council response – Will be assessed through condition data / prioritisation process we discussed together. We did get work to improve the surface of the raised table.

Impington Lane Raised table at the junction with New Road Carriageway The quality of Impington Lane is poor, it is at it’s worst at this junction where there is significant school traffic including buses.  It is a critical junction in regards to access to the secondary school. The carriageway is decaying and is in extremely poor condition. Is now being scoped / priced for delivery, expect completion by end of Q1 25/26, (hopefully earlier)

Council response – Will be assessed through condition data / prioritisation process we discussed together. Commitment from council to improve the surface of the raised table imminently.

Station Road Raised table junction at entrance to Vision Park, with Chivers Way coming off it. Carriageway The surface of the raised table is pitted, pot holed and decaying. This is an important route for north/ south journeys within the village. Is now being scoped / priced for delivery, expect completion by end of Q1 25/26, (hopefully earlier)

Council response – Will be assessed through condition data / prioritisation process we discussed together. Commitment from council to improve the surface of the raised table imminently.

Cambridge Road Raised table at junction with The Coppice Carriageway The quality of the raised table has deteriorated to the point where it is dangerous for cyclists. Is now being scoped / priced for delivery, expect completion by end of Q1 25/26, (hopefully earlier)

Council response – Will be assessed through condition data / prioritisation process we discussed together. Commitment from council to improve the surface of the raised table imminently.

Station Road North stretch between High Street and Peace memorial Carriageway The quality of the carriageway is extremely poor, this is a critical through route for residents and in particular families accessing the schools.  This stretch is used as a rat run and trying to navigate an extremely complex road traffic environment is extremely difficult and exacerbated when you have to also attempt to navigate a road surface which is borderline dangerous for cyclists particularly in poor weather conditions.

Council response – Will be assessed through condition data / prioritisation process we discussed together. The council concluded it was in too good condition to be considered as capital project. I pushed back and will continue to fight for this.

Hereward Close Survey of entire area some areas are worse than others Carriageway The quality of Hereward Close in some areas is absolutely important.  It is not as critical as Station Road but it is a high density area where the roads feel at breaking point.

Council response – Will be assessed through condition data / prioritisation process we discussed together. I was advised this was being considered for a new type of treatment and strung along implying that it would be done. Any such offer has now been withdrawn.

Home Close Survey and works where necessary for entire area Carriageway The road feels as though it has failed it is not the most important area as it is residential but it is highly populated and an important cut through.

Council response – Will be assessed through condition data / prioritisation process we discussed together. No commitment has been made to this.

Pepys Terrace Entire road Carriageway Residents of Pepys Terrace came to highways committee 10 years ago saying their road needed resurfacing and were told it would happen.  It has still not happened. If it is not going to happen please could some remedial work take place particularly around gullies or other significant cracking or defects.

Council response – Will be assessed through condition data / prioritisation process we discussed together. I was asked about road closures and lead to believe this massively overdue road surfacing would happen. That offer has been withdrawn.

Various drainage works including a list of over 30 completely blocked gulleys and the extensive and repeated flooding on Station Road have only been trivially actioned but I am working with the Highways Director to closely scrutinise and make sure this work happens.

Footways in Orchard Park – first steps to improve the surface around the Community centre on Central Avenue and on Circus Drive have already taken place but more work is necessary.