50 miles of road repaired for ‘free’

Almost 50 miles of road will be repaired at no expense to the taxpayer as part of Surrey County Council’s commitment to improving highways over the next five years.

This was made possible when May Gurney worked with the authority and its supply chain to provide a 15% discount on Surrey’s £100 million roads contract, during negotiations last year. The council has decided to plough the £15 million saving back into the highways budget, paying for 50 miles of repair.

A further investment of £25 million over five years in roads was recently announced by the council to tackle the root cause of potholes. This extra funding has been made possible by a 1.99% increase in council tax, which was approved at a meeting of the full council last week.

John Furey, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said: “The recent council tax decision was a pivotal moment for Surrey’s roads because it now means we have the money available to take huge strides in improving them. Over the next five years we’ll completely overhaul many of the worst roads in a bid to tackle the root cause of potholes.

“But as well as investing more money, we are also working smarter and getting better value for money. It’s this sort of attitude that leads to 50 miles of roads being improved at no expense to the taxpayer.”

The council has a new five year approach to planning road improvements, which could lead to savings of £21 million by moving away from the current annual programme. This will allow materials to be bought in bulk and better coordination of roadworks, saving time, money and reducing congestion.

Mr Furey added: “There is an intrinsic link between good roads and economic growth. To put it simply, congestion costs money. By investing in improving roads, we’re providing the platform for Surrey’s business community to grow and further lead the UK’s economic recovery.”

ENDS

Media requiring more information can contact Surrey County Council senior media relations officer James Oxley on 0208 541 7259.

If you are a member of the public and have a question about roads, you can visit http://www.surreycc.gov.uk and click the ‘highways information online’ link, or alternatively call 03456 009 009.