Bid to get £1 million extra spent on Hucknall roads moves a step closer

A campaign by the Ashfield Independents group at Nottinghamshire County Council campaign to get an extra £1 million spent on roads every year in places like Hucknall is a step closer.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

This was after the chairman of a high level review of how the county deals with highways confirmed the proposal was being looked at.

Currently, the council allocates money by length of roads and not usage of roads.

This has led to areas like Newark and West Bridgford receiving more than £1million more on highways maintenance every year than places like Ashfield.

Couns Jason Zadrozny (left) and Tom Hollis with a ViaFix road repair in Ashfield which the Ashfield Indpendents say are 'botch jobs'Couns Jason Zadrozny (left) and Tom Hollis with a ViaFix road repair in Ashfield which the Ashfield Indpendents say are 'botch jobs'
Couns Jason Zadrozny (left) and Tom Hollis with a ViaFix road repair in Ashfield which the Ashfield Indpendents say are 'botch jobs'

The news came after questions by Coun John Wilmott (Ash Ind) who represents Hucknall North, at the lateat meeting of the council’s transport and environment committee where Coun Neil Clark, the committee’s chairman, confirmed that the Highways Review Panel would be ‘considering proposals to change the allocation for funding from length of roads to usage of roads.’

Coun Wilmott said: “By a country mile, the state of our broken roads and pavements is the number one issue I deal with.

"In Hucknall, the highways are a broken, dangerous mess as a result of years of underinvestment.

“I am pleased that our pressure has led to the county council seriously considering the way it funds improvements to our highways.

“It just goes to show that when we provide evidence of inequitable investment and the reasons why, we can force the county to re-think the way that highways funding is allocated.

"We will continue to bang the drum to get our fair share of highway’s funding.”

Coun Tom Hollis (Ash Ind) also welcomed the change of heart.

He said, “For the past four years, roads in towns like Newark and West Bridgford have enjoyed grand prix conditions whilst ones in places like Ashfield, Broxtowe and Mansfield would embarrass a third world country.

"The Conservatives talk about levelling up the country – they have failed to even level up the county.

"The news that they are now considering our proposal is welcome – sometimes it has felt as though we are banging our heads against a brick wall.

"If the council agrees with the Independents then it will lead to the extra £1 million for our roads a year – something we have campaigned to sort for years.

"As the representative for the Independent Group on this review panel, I will continue to make the obvious case for funding to be allocated by usage of roads and not length.

"The council has claimed on at least three occasions that the Government rules dictated the allocation of funding for boroughs and districts by length of road.

“Despite repeated requests for evidence of this, the council has not been forthcoming.

"The very fact that it is now considering allocating funding by usage – not length – of roads illustrates that this is not true.”

The council has also confirmed that the review is also looking at the use of the controversial ‘ViaFix’ after allegations by Ashfield Indepdendent councillors that they are ‘botching’ road repairs.