NEWS that Herefordshire has the most improved roads in the country has been met with puzzlement, disbelief and derision by Ledbury residents.

One resident, pointing to the pot-holed state of The Homend and elsewhere, even suggested that the people who did the national survey must have been blindfolded.

Former town centre retailer, Yvonne White of Bye Street said: "They should have gone to Specsavers. My God, have you looked at the Homend and the High Street? I can't agree with this survey; not even ten per cent. All of the roads in Ledbury are atrocious. Whoever did the survey must have been blindfolded."

A press release from Herefordshire Council states that the authority has "raced ahead of 77 other local authorities to be named as the most improved organisation in the annual National Highway and Transport survey".

The statement adds: "Satisfaction with Herefordshire’s roads, which are maintained by Herefordshire Council through Balfour Beatty Living Places (BBLP), are the most improved in the country according to the findings of a national survey."

The survey, which independently questioned more than 3,000 local people, "showed that public satisfaction in the condition of roads had improved significantly by over 10 per cent".

Cllr Paul Rone, cabinet member for transport and roads, said he was heartened that the council's two-year, £40m investment programme "had delivered" and that the improvement was being recognised by residents.

He said: "This is the biggest roads investment programme ever undertaken in the county and it’s great to see that satisfaction with our roads and street lighting has improved. We still have work to do to sustain the condition of our roads, but these results are a real indication that the investment made to date has been worthwhile.”

Andy Williams, BBLP contractor director, said the partnership with the council had enabled them to complete "20 times more road repairs than the national average".

He said: “We are pleased to be playing such an active role in improving the condition of the county’s roads. The investment programme allows us to undertake more resurfacing, which has the biggest and most long-lasting impact, over and above everyday maintenance work.”

But satisfaction with road surfaces seems to be in short supply in Ledbury, where Herefordshire Council recently announced that the heavily potholed Homend would not be repaired this winter, under its rolling programme.

Town councillor, Martin Eager, the owner of the Homend Mews, said: "The repairs package should be completed before they start patting themselves on the back.

"I can't speak for the rest of the county, but unfortunately they have forgotten about Ledbury. With the Homend, we have been told that repairs are not going to happen.

"They have probably done a good job elsewhere."

Former town councillor, Chris Ridler said: "If they are the most improved, they must have started from an unbelievably low base. I still think there is a long way to go with road repairs in Ledbury. The Homend desperately needs something doing, and so does Knapp lane in places."

Church Road resident, Brian Foskett, recently complained to Herefordshire Council about the state of roads by his house, only to hear that no repairs would be carried out this winter.

He said this week, when hearing about the conclusions of the survey: "I am extremely surprised; I can't really say anything more that that.

"I have see no physical evidence of improvements anywhere. If they have improved the roads, I don't see where."

Road repairs have recently taken place at Woodleigh Road in Ledbury, and also at Ashperton, near Ledbury.