CHUNKS of tarmac "as large as dinner plates" and missing kerbs are causing a danger for residents using a footway.

District Councillor for Silver End and Cressing, James Abbott, said the footway which acts at the main pedestrian link between Cressing and Braintree needs fixing urgently.

He said the footway has been broken up for many years and Essex County Council has done little about it.

He said: "Some loose material is large chunks of tarmac, almost as large as a dinner plate.

"Some of the kerbs have been knocked out of line by vehicles and in places there is no kerb at all.

"Pedestrians are expected to go along there very close to road with heavy traffic and HGVs.

"When I was there two HGVs mounted the footway."

The Local Highways Panel has agreed to fund a major improvement scheme to both reduce the curve of the bend and provide a proper path.

However Mr Abbott said this has been postponed due to discussions about development in the area.

He said: "I have written to officers at Essex County Council and raised at meetings that the delay is of concern and that whilst that is ongoing, a temporary improvement at least needs to be made due to the shocking state of the footway.

"They have declined to action this.

"This footway is clearly dangerously substandard and I believe is a further example of how pedestrians are treated badly when it comes to maintenance priorities.

"The state of the bends and the footway is raised regularly at local meetings and it is common knowledge locally how dangerous it is for people to walk along there – simply intimidating at peak times I would say.

"I believe the county council is potentially failing in its duty of care to residents in leaving the footway like that."

Rodney Bass, councillor responsible for Infrastructure, said: "The County Council is well aware of this difficult stretch of the B1018 where HGVs are regularly eroding the kerb at the first major corner between Braintree and Cressing. 


“A scheme is being worked up as soon as land ownership issues can be resolved so that the bend can be made more gradual, suitably haunched and the footpath properly constructed.”