Saffron Walden councillor Heather Asker and I have been pushing Essex County Council for some months now to fix the appalling state of some of our roads in the Saffron Walden division of the county. It is an uphill task as it often seems that County Hall thinks Uttlesford isn’t part of Essex.
However some good news. Our increased pushing and visible frustration with ECC seems to be getting results. Ashdon Road in Saffron Walden is now due for a complete resurfacing during the summer holidays. Until then they’ve told us they’ll continue to patch the major ones, so we will hold them to that. Below is the latest email exchange between me and the ECC highways department.
John
From: Cllr John Lodge, Member ECC
Sent: 20 February 2017 09:50
To: Member Enquiries
Cc: Cllr Eddie Johnson, Member ECC
Subject: Ashdon Road Saffron Walden
THIS ROAD IS NOT POTHOLED – IT IS A WAR ZONE AND DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS.
CAN YOU STOP THE PLATITUDES AND FIX IT PLEASE
Thank you
John Lodge
From: Member Enquiries
To: Cllr John Lodge, Member ECC
Date: 21 February 2017 at 10:35
Subject: RE: Ashdon Road Saffron Walden – ECC2011220 02 17
Dear Cllr Lodge
Thank you for your enquiry dated the 20 February 2017 regarding the poor condition of Ashdon Road in Saffron Walden.
Please be advised that Ashdon Road has been identified for a complete carriageway resurface as part of our 2017/18 Capital Scheme. This will be from the junction with Castle Hill to outside the entrance of the Ashdon Road Commercial Centre. The date these works are predicted to commence is [sic] the 24 August 2017.
Until such time that these works will commence, please be assured that our Highways team have advised that they will go out and patch the most significant of all the defects along this road. Unfortunately, some of the potholes are still considered to be of a low priority and therefore we do not have the capacity to patch these when the road will be receiving a complete resurface in the coming months.
I would like to thank you and the residents of Ashdon Road for your patience in relation to this matter, as I appreciate it is also a heavily used road during the school run; I hope that the news that the road will be resurfaced this year comes as good news to you.
Kind regards
Member Enquiries
Corporate and Customer Services
Essex County Council