CONCERNED councillors fear Frinton could be cut off during an emergency if action is not taken to improve crumbling roads.

Town councillor Terry Allen called for improvements to be made to a series of private roads in the town, which he said are deteriorating rapidly.

He fears that if Frinton’s railway gates are blocked following an accident, emergency services would struggle to access the town from Walton due to the damaged roads.

The roads include Central Avenue and Rainham Way.

They are privately owned and it is understood residents are not interested in paying for them to be repaired.

“The potholes aren’t potholes anymore - we now have craters,” said Mr Allen.

“It’ll only be a matter of time before the road is impassable.

“On two occasions recently the gates were jammed and shut and everyone had to go out of Frinton the back way using these roads.

“Bus routes going over it is exacerbating the problem.”

Mr Allen called on Tendring Council’s cabinet to lobby Essex County Council on behalf of the town council.

“It’s a private road and the county won’t pave it,” he said.

“The residents won’t repair it as they don’t want more people using it, but it is needed by buses and emergency services.

“If these roads collapse and there’s another problem at the gates, there will be no way in or out for emergency vehicles. There’s a crater in the bend in Rainham Way - you have to go over people’s gardens to avoid it.”

Carlo Guglielmi, Tendring councillor responsible for finance, said he would look into the matter.

Mr Allen told the town council an opportunity to nominate pavements for repair as part of an Essex County Council scheme had been lost.

He said: “County councillors had until July 31 to put forward schemes.

“No schemes were put forward [for Frinton]. This was a gift - we could have had some bad sections repaired.”

An Essex Highways spokesperson said: “Central Avenue, Frinton, is a wholly private road. Rainham Way, Frinton, is a private road between Central Avenue and outside number 13.”