Over £5m is being spent tackling potholes and maintaining and resurfacing key local pavements and roads this year – as part of Hackney Council’s ambition to support people to walk, cycle and travel safely around the borough.
The money is being invested as part of the council’s highway maintenance programme, which prioritises the roads, pavements and gullies that will be repaired or reconstructed.
In the last few years, the council has reconstructed thousands of metres of pavement across the borough – with paving slabs used to improve the urban streetscape and help the visually impaired with uniform and consistent pavements.
The funding will also see key roads used by cyclists and drivers resurfaced. So far this year, Southgate Road and Ruckholt Road have been resurfaced, with a main road resurfacing programme starting in October. This will include work to… .
*£500,000 will be spent on reactive pothole repairs, with highways inspectors inspecting the entire borough to prioritise repairs. £300,000 will also be allocated to renewing road markings over the next three years.
*£300,000 of the funding will be spent replacing 48 gullies on the Council’s public highway – helping improve drainage following increasingly common flash flooding.
The extra cash in this year’s budget comes as Mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville, joined highways contractor Marlborough Highways, as they carried out a pothole repair in Hackney Central.
Despite hefty cuts to the council’s funding – including that for roads – from central government in the last decade, it has maintained and now increased the funding it has dedicated to keeping its pavements and roads in tip top shape. This helps prevent trip hazards, keeps pavements accessible, supports those who cycle and drive, and ensures Hackney’s neighbourhoods are some of the most well maintained and attractive in London.
The Mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville said: “It was great to join the Council’s Highways team and Marlborough Highways repairing potholes in Hackney Central and see first hand how hard they work to keep the borough safe and moving.
Andy Brown, Senior Project Manager, Marlborough Highways, added: “We had the pleasure of welcoming the Mayor of Hackney to a residential site near London Fields last week. During the morning works on Horton Road, he assisted our expert operatives with the repair of a pothole, by first excavating the ground and applying asphalt, then completing the job with a hand guided roller. We are grateful to the Mayor for his enthusiasm, with the initiative highlighting the important work our team continually delivers in support of Hackney Council’s ambitious highways programme.”
