Great Totham: £11million? I can't see where the money's being spent (From Maldon and Burnham Standard)

Great Totham: £11million? I can't see where the money's being spent

5:00pm Sunday 19th August 2012 in News By Gareth Burton

An angry pensioner who has been forced to pay out more than £400 after his car was damaged by a pot hole says he is yet to see any evidence of £11million countywide improvement works.

Graham Richmond, 77, of Sheepcoates Lane, Great Totham, first expressed concerns about the condition of the roads in the area earlier this year, fearing a serious accident could be just around the corner.

The retired traffic policeman has now had to pay out £457 to repair his car after allegedly hitting a pot hole in Park Wood Lane in neighbouring Little Totham, and one of his neighbours is facing an even larger bill after hitting the same 5ft long crater last weekend.

Essex County Council has earmarked repairs to more than 300 of the district’s roads as part of an £11million countywide pothole blitz and insist the pot hole in Park Wood Lane will be dealt with.

A spokesman said: “Essex Highways are sorry to hear about the damage caused to the residents vehicle.

“We would like to confirm that the road in question will be worked on as a part of the additional £11m investment into pot hole repair and the road defect will be repaired by the end of October.”

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