Man in charge of fixing roads in Northampton explains why the street he lives on has been freshly resurfaced

The man in charge of fixing roads in Northampton has explained why the street he lives on has been freshly resurfaced.

Councillor Phil Larratt, in charge of highways at West Northants Council (WNC), has explained why the road he lives on, Highfield Road, in Abington, has been resurfaced.

The revelation comes as many roads in Northampton are currently in poor condition, which councillor Larratt has previously blamed on the wet winter weather and an overspend by the council’s children’s trust.

Explaining, councillor Larratt said: "The first I knew of this repair was when Kier leafletted the residents in the street where I live to inform us that the road was going to be closed for two days to enable repairs to take place. The relatively small area of road that has been addressed has been ongoing and problematic for quite a few years, causing repair workers to have to visit the area three or so times a year due to its constant degeneration.

"I don’t get involved in the day-to-day operational activities of our contractor, but it is encouraging that Kier is also attending to local roads with similar ongoing problems.

"The work using the thermal road repair machine has produced a good repair that should prevent further problems arising for some considerable time. This will negate the need for repair workers to visit the area throughout the year, enabling them to concentrate their efforts in other areas where much needed repairs are necessary.”

A council spokesman added that the works in this area form part of the WNC’s programme of works.

The spokesman said: “The works were scheduled in line with the repair and prioritisation strategy for the whole of West Northamptonshire. We plan these works using FixMyStreet reports and highway inspection data that highlights where we can be most effective in delivering repairs. This data does not pull in any personal data of who lives on the roads where we undertake repair work, and is decided independent of WNC, by Kier.”

The total amount of money spent on highways in the county since WNC’s creation is in excess of £60m, however the backlog of repairs continues to rise and sits at over £200m.