If last week was about ditches this week has been about roads and maintenance.
In select committee at County, we received a report from Jonathan Hulley, our deputy Cabinet Member, about the progress he and his task force are making in liaising with Utility Companies to reduce the time that they are taking up with repairs on our roads. There is concern that the powers they have to access the roads for emergency repairs, may be open to abuse and that they may be using these to effect normal repairs that could have been scheduled.
Good progress so far from Jonathan and his team.
A visit to the depot at Merrow run by our major highways contractor, Ringway, also gave the committee the opportunity to ask their executives and our officers how they felt the contract was progressing.
We also spoke to our Parking Enforcement contractors about how their contract was developing. Ever increasing visits by their parking enforcement operatives are having an effect in reducing bad parking and improving compliance. As ever, this will always be work in hand.
To return to the earlier theme of reducing time spent on maintaining roads we were shown a number of demonstrations of new practices designed to do this.
The first, the use of a new pothole repairing compound called VIAFIX that can be used in wet conditions. Early results indicate that not only is the material is easier to use but also that the repairs are more robust.
The second, was the use of new white lining machines that speed up the painting of lines. I for one didn’t know that these machines use the same compound that dentists use for fillings.
The last demonstration was about cold repairs around drains and manholes.
All in all the week was well spent in gaining the knowledge I will need to answer residents’ questions, about Highway maintenance.
- Cllr Richard Tear, Surrey County Councillor for Bagshot, Windlesham and Chobham
Pictured, Cllr Richard Tear at the Merrow Depot
