In the Gazette on Tuesday, March 16, it was reported Essex County Council’s highways department had this year set aside £8.1million for Colchester and Tendring, compared to £12million for mid Essex and £13.7million for the west of the county.

In Friday’s Gazette we read the total budget for highways maintenance in Colchester and Tendring this year has been £3,363,375, with £2,178,900 of that spent on patching potholes and minor repairs. (That amount includes the extra £360,000 for pothole repairs due to the winter’s bad weather).

It is commented by the highways department that the extra cost for repairing potholes may have to be taken out of capital funding next year.

The total budget for highways of £8.1million, minus the highways maintenance budget of £3,363,375, leaves an approximate budget of £4,736,625 for capital projects.

The question is just what did Colchester and Tendring get for the £4,736,625 spent from the capital budget for the 2009 to 2010 financial year?

For instance, what was the cost of the Essex Hall roundabout and Albert roundabout and Butt Road, where the highways department “tinkered” with the bus lanes and pedestrian crossings and put in traffic lights?

It has to be questioned just what, if anything, did this achieve? How many more like this is Essex County Council intending to spend money on?

Would that funding have been better spent ensuring roads were inspected for potential pothole repairs prior to bad weather, instead of what some may consider a waste of council taxpayers’ money?

It also begs the question just how complacent was the highways department that the weather would not be as bad as it was?

Allan Hewitt
Bluebell Way
Colchester