£3 million to target county's rural roads

The release of £3 million from the County Council reserves will fund resurfacing work on Buckinghamshire's minor roads.

County councillors today (Thursday May 21) unanimously agreed to add the £3m to £25m already earmarked for restoration work on the roads this year.

The £3m will pay for a 12-month programme of 'plane and patch' work to resurface badly worn sections of roads in around 300 locations, mainly unclassified rural routes, starting in September.

Leader Martin Tett said: 'These unclassified roads wouldn't normally be covered by our resurfacing schemes, but they're nevertheless important for those who use them. This money should make a significant improvement, particularly in our most rural areas.'

During the next three months Transport for Buckinghamshire will assess the roads, consult with County Councillors and submit the proposed programme to Transport Cabinet Member Mark Shaw for decision.

Mark told councillors he was confident the 300 schemes could be delivered through TfB's asset management team. 'This is a challenge we'll meet head on, and focus on getting good quality and good value for money,' he said.