More delays to road repairs for village (From Basildon Recorder)

More delays to road repairs for village

10:00am Friday 3rd July 2009

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RESIDENTS have demanded a date is set for promised roadworks to be started on their pothole ridden road.

Essex County Council has pledged £45,000 of road repairs in Oak Road, Crays Hill, but the job has been held up over fears travellers at nearby Dale Farm would mistake the work as the start of their eviction.

As revealed by the Echo, contractors had demanded a police presence amid claims of previous intimidation by travellers.

Police said they would not help until the site had been leafleted, explaining it was not an eviction and a meeting was held.

County Hall officials have now met traveller representatives at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic church to spell out the work would improve road conditions for them and is in no way linked to evictions.

However, no date has been set for the work on what local MP John Baron called the worst road in his constituency.

Norman Hume, county councillor in charge of highways, has written to Mr Baron promising the cash will be spent this year and further repairs to the road will take place in the next financial year.

He wrote: “I have decided to proceed with immediate repairs totalling some £45,000 which will focus on the worst affetced areas.

“The second phase of this scheme will consist of further repairs and this will be included in next year’s maintenance programme.”

However, residents say they have heard it all before.

David McPherson-Davis, a Ramsden Crays parish councillor, said: “This has been said time and time again. We want an exact date, not assurances it will be this year.

“In my opinion it is the police holding it up, because the contractors are asking for their protection.”

Mr Baron, Conservative MP for Billericay, fears the £45,000 pledged by County Hall will not be enough.

Mr McPherson-Davis added: “Mr Baron has advised the parish council he has written back requesting more money and that it is dealt with as a priority so we can get the start date.

“At the moment we don’t know if it will be before or after the eviction.”

Grattan Puxon, a campaigner for the travellers, added: “Everyone is happy for the work to go ahead and will welcome the improvements.”

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