MORE road and pavement repairs are being carried out thanks to Essex County Councillors working with Essex Highways to identify issues in their divisions claims Essex County Council.

The Members’ Highways Initiative is funded by £8 million of the £12 million announced for highways repairs in February. The £12 million has been allocated across different areas of work, including additional highway crews for each borough, city and district to prioritise repairs raised by local Members and residents.

Each Member has a crew allocated to them for a week every eight weeks. This is in addition to the work Essex Highways already carries out to repair and maintain the county’s highways, including the £39 million resurfacing programme. 

The Members’ Highways Initiative will enable Members to identify, plan and prioritise defects in their division. This includes repairing outstanding issues as well as new defects. Issues include potholes, pavements, repairs to street furniture, drainage and enforcing vegetation maintenance on private land where it meets the highways.

The initiative will help ensure more repairs are carried out to help improve the condition of the highways in Essex and help the council in its ambition to deliver safer, greener and healthier travel for everyone.

Councillor Tom Cunningham, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport, said: “This is an innovative approach for Essex Highways in carrying out much needed repairs in the county. We’re putting the power in the hands of Members, who know their local divisions better than anybody and are well placed to help advise Essex Highways on what repairs fellow residents want the most.

“I want all my fellow Essex residents to feel as proud as I do to live in an Essex that supports travel by all transport modes. Carrying out important repairs on our highways is a fundamental place to start and I’m pleased to be working closely with my colleagues to make this happen.”