A new minor repairs team – whose aim will be find and repair potholes and minor road defects across the City – are about to hit the streets as part of Southend-on-Sea’s drive to improve the local road network.

Marlborough Ltd has successfully secured a three-year extension with the council as part of a contractual agreement, and the council’s highways service has successfully negotiated the contract to include the new, additional benefit of a minor repairs gang at no additional cost to the council.

Marlborough will be deploying a small works repair gang who will undertake small repairs on the roads and pavements across the City. This additional service will be directed by the councils highways service on a planned priority basis and will continue for the remainder of Marlborough’s current three-year contract extension.

This additional work will be carried out in addition to the council’s extensive road and pavement resurfacing programme for 2022/23, which sees £10m invested in the City’s roads and pavements.

Cllr Steven Wakefield, cabinet member for highways, transport and parking, said: “It’s great to see this new addition to our highways service, even more so that it is at no additional cost to local taxpayers.

“The new Marlborough gang will be carrying out minor repairs to our roads and pavements, whilst the council’s highway service will be organising the repairs on a planned priority basis, ensuring that we continue to act on a priority and risk basis to put the safety of our residents and visitors first.

We are absolutely committed to improving our roads and pavements to ensure local people can travel in and around Southend-on-Sea safely, and we will continue to strive to our promise of ensuring our roads and pavements reach the standards our City deserves, which in turn entices potential investment into the City.”

Matthew Revell, Marlborough’s managing director, said: “Our partnership with Southend-on-Sea City Council has gone from strength to strength throughout the duration of the Contract. With the three-year extension, we can now offer a dedicated gang who will keep the City’s roads and pavements to a high standard to benefit the residents and visitors of Southend.”