Contractors blamed for poor road repairs

That’s the claim from the Local Government Association (LGA), with says that local taxpayers are being left to pick up the bill for contractors’ incompetence.

In England and Wales last year, workmen dug two million holes in the roads. Of these, 360,000 - nearly one in five - were not completed to the agreed specification, with work either over-running, or roads not restored to their original condition.

The LGA wants councils to be given stronger powers to ensure that roads are repaired properly once work has finished roadworks. It also wants to be able to make sure that work is timed to cause the minimum disruption to motorists.

LGA economy and transport board chairman Peter Box said: “Contractors should not be allowed to get away with botching road repairs and then leaving council tax payers to foot the bill.

“Roadworks are a pet hate of all motorists. Many would no doubt be surprised to learn that most road closures don’t even result in the condition of roads improving and many actually make them worse.

“Councils face the joint challenge of managing the toughest spending cuts in living memory and tackling a £10.5bn backlog in road maintenance. It is only right that companies which drill and dig up our roads pay their fair share towards fixing the damage.”

The LGA is proposing that utility companies pay a bond or deposit in advance of roadworks to make it easier for councils to recoup the cost of damage caused by inferior road repairs and encourage utilities to get it right first time.

Local authorities should also be able to reduce disruption for motorists by stipulating when, where and how often companies are allowed to dig up roads.

The LGA is asking the government to scrap red-tape that makes it difficult for local authorities to introduce permit schemes for regulating streetworks in their area.

Mr Box added: “Local authorities should be able to hold these firms to account and ensure that any routine maintenance work is co-ordinated. This will mean fewer holes in the roads and fewer unnecessary delays for motorists.”

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