Council probe into digging by utilities

Surrey County Council has launched an investigation into ways to reduce congestion and damage caused by utility companies digging up roads.

When Surrey County Council tested a sample of utility company road repairs it found half of them were of poor quality and many needed to be redone.

A task group has now been set up, chaired by councillor Pat Frost, to investigate the issue and find out how to reduce congestion and improve the quality of work taking place.

Frost said: “You simply have to read the newspapers and listen to the radio to realise this is an important issue. As well as being irritating, traffic jam costs businesses money which damages Surrey’s economy.

"I understand the need for utility companies to carry out essential work, but this must be balanced with the needs of road users, residents and businesses.”

John Furey, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said: “It’s incredibly disheartening to see a smooth stretch of newly resurfaced road dug up just weeks after we’ve finished laying it. We want to work more closely with everyone involved to improve the situation.

“This will build on the great work done to improve Surrey’s roads since we began working with our new contractor May Gurney in April, last year.

"In the first year of the deal alone, 300 miles of Surrey’s roads were resurfaced, which is the distance between London and Land’s End.”