HEREFORDSHIRE Council contractor Balfour Beatty Living Places (BBLP) says no county road is too remote for a repair programme already outstripping related national averages.

This week BBLP confirmed that the county’s C and U roads will be the focus for that programme over the coming financial year.

To date, nearly 38,000 potholes have been repaired and 130 miles of roads have been resurfaced in one of the biggest investment programmes ever seen in the county.

Dr Alasdair MacDonald, of BBLP, said that the rate of repair currently outstripping national averages.

“The investment in resurfacing works, which is the treatment which has the largest and most long-term impact on the condition of the roads, has been 20 times the national average.”

“Over the last year, surface dressing maintenance works have been carried out on seven per cent, or 134 miles, of the county’s B, C and U roads, more than twice the national average. Nearly 120,000 tonnes of tarmac has been used in patch repairs,” he said.

Now, a new focus on C and U roads is expected to see more than 67,000 potholes filled, 100 miles of road surface dressed, and another 30 resurfaced by the end of the programme’s second year.

In addition, a £2.5 million phased improvement scheme starts this year in High Town, Hereford.

Herefordshire Council is investing an additional £40 million over two years on top of its regular maintenance funding.

The council also won bids totalling £6 million from the Government’s severe weather and pothole funds.

Last month, however, the council failed in its bid for £5.8 million to upgrade the A44.

As reported by the Hereford Times, feedback from the Department for Transport suggested that the submission to a £275 million national highways improvement scheme fell below match funding offers made by other councils.

The council could have to wait at least another three years before making another application and may have to re-draw related costings for countywide highway maintenance plans drawn up in expectation of the sum being secured at £5.8 million being secured.

The condition of the county’s roads is a key issue for the council.

Herefordshire’s highway network is extensive, being over  2,000 miles in length and, if built today, would cost around £2.6 billion to deliver according to figures from the road repairs industry organisation, the Highways Term Maintenance Association (HTMA).

Depreciation across the network is currently assessed at £101m, this being the theoretical sum needed to return the condition of roads to “as new”.

The HTMA – which encourages a long-term approach to works - estimates savings eventually generated by the council’s investment programme at £45 million.

* BBLP has been praised by the council’s overview and scrutiny committee for an “innovative” approach to contractual obligations.

The committee set up a specific task group to examine the first year of the contract and identify improvements.

Just released findings from the resulting report show the group as “highly supportive’ of the 13 locality stewards who work directly with local councillors to inspect local roads, paths, parks and open spaces.

The report stated: “Whilst it was noted it is early days, the group was very encouraged by this approach and very supportive of its introduction.”

A pilot project to give traditional lengthsmen a greater role in parishes by not only keeping ditches and drains clear, but also fixing potholes on minor roads, is also called a success.

The report outlines the group’s support for a roll-out of an enhanced lengthsman scheme and recommends that “as many parish councils as possible” take up the option.”

Arrangements for BBLP to work with local suppliers, contact with schools and colleges, and its  apprenticeship  scheme were also examined.

In its recommendations, the group said it wanted to see the council work with BBLP to make it easier for small, local organisations to engage with BBLP and bid for sub-contractor opportunities.

BBLP started the £20 million a year contract to deliver a number of high profile frontline services including highway maintenance, street cleaning and grounds maintenance in September 2013.

The 10-year contract was front-loaded for the first two years with an additional £40 million invested in road infrastructure.