Council leader ‘seriously worried’ about the basic safety of roads

The poor state of repair and the safety of roads across East Cambridgeshire is being highlighted in a letter from District Council leader Anna Bailey. 

Writing to Lucy Nethsingha, the Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, which is responsible for highways, Cllr Bailey said she was “seriously worried” about the basic safety and “alarmed” about the lack of maintenance on roads which were not even being considered for repair. 

She added: “This is being reinforced by recent feedback from residents of our district who are raising this with me on a daily basis. They are suffering damage to their vehicles and accidents caused by the poor condition of our roads. 

“This is a pressing issue that requires significant and urgent attention.” 

Cllr Bailey is requesting Cambridgeshire County Council officials rapidly convene a meeting to discuss the freeing up of significant funds for maintaining the highways. 

At a meeting of its Highways Committee on 7 March a budget of around £700,000 was agreed for spending on carriageway and footway maintenance, including cycle routes in East Cambridgeshire. 

Cllr Bailey added: “This is not about blame – I am fully aware that many of Cambridgeshire’s roads have a very poor sub structure, but it is clear that the County Council must take steps to address this issue. Doing nothing is not a responsible option.”