Back in March I highlighted the fact that not for the first time roads in our ward - many of whom are full of pot holes - continue to be neglected by the Labour-run Council.
We have been asking local Labour councillors when particular roads in Redlands would be resurfaced every year and not getting proper answers. Your guess is as good as ours in fact.
Well, the Council has today issued a press release which says:
"A road resurfacing programme aimed at improving a number of routes across Reading for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians is due to begin on Monday, July 20"
You can see details of which roads are going to be resurfaced here.
Don't be surprised if most of the roads in South and East Reading that blatantly need urgent attention are not included on the list.
I wouldn't blame the officers in the transport department for this though.
Thanks to the way local government finance has been messed up by successive Conservative and Labour governments there simply isn't enough money available to councils to keep roads in a good order.
As I said in March, RBC will receive £1.3 million for highway maintenance works for the next financial year which covers £625k for carriageway resurfacing, £100k for 'micro asphalt' surfacing (patching up potholes etc) and £300k for footway resurfacing.
The rest goes on bridge maintenance (£300k), road assessment surveys (£25,220) and streetlighting (£200k).
This cash will only pay for 5 minor roads and 7 major roads across the Borough to be completely resurfaced - thanks to lack of proper funding from the Labour government.
Road safety, an area highlighted by my colleague and Lib Dem transport spokesperson, Cllr Ricky Duveen, earlier this week is also chronically underfunded leaving many roads in Reading highly dangerous.
In the press noticed issued by RBC today, Lead Member for Transport Cllr Tony Page notes:
"The Council carries out this essential improvement work every summer to coincide with the school holidays. Of course, road-works will inevitably cause some delays and inconvenience but I hope people will recognise that maintaining our road surfaces is vital.
"We would ask people affected to bear with us while the work is carried out as we would rightly be criticised if we failed to repair road surfaces."
It sounds as though our criticism of his management of our local road network is fully justified then.
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