Letter to the Editor, Kent Messenger

12.00.00am GMT Thu 6th Nov 2008

repaired once every 226 years

Dear Sir,

It is puzzling that Paul Carter Leader of Kent County Council is to look at the council's capital building programme to see if he can fast track highway projects in order to offer local employment . ( KCC works speed-up considered. KM 31.10.8)

Mr Carter must be aware that the county council has failed to deliver its building programme for the past ten years. Each year the uncompleted capital programme of mainly roads and schools just 'slip' into next years programme. Each time we have protested about this, we have been told that problems with planning and land purchase are holding up the progress.. So how can this process be speeded up now..... but could not be solved over the past ten years?

What about a really novel idea instead? Why not employ more local people to mend the potholed roads for which KCC is responsible? In recent weeks the Lib Dems have asked Cabinet member for highways, Keith Ferrin, for the size of the current backlog of road and pavement repairs and how long it will take to do all the work. We now know that pavements are only going to be repaired once every 226 years. On the 16th 0ctober Mr Ferrin told us that at the current rate of spending we will NEVER get rid of the backlog of road repairs. In fact spending is at such a low level that the backlog is getting bigger every year.

So what exactly is the point of bringing forward projects to build MORE roads when KCC lets the ones we have fall apart?

Yours sincerely,

Trudy Dean

Leader of Liberal Democrat Group of Kent County Council