Lib Dems convince Labour to increase spending on roads

11.45.17am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 1st Dec 2006

Lib Dem councillors have welcomed the news that Haringey Council is to substantially increase its annual expenditure on roads maintenance from £1.98m to £3.75m. The news follows a damning report showing that Labour have chronically underinvested in the roads and pavements of the borough for years, and now some £35 million over the next ten years is required to make amends.

Earlier this year Cllr David Winskill chaired a Scrutiny Panel which looked into the state of the Borough's roads. It was discovered that the Council's has been spending less than half that of neighbouring London Boroughs on their roads. Last year, Haringey allocated just £1.98m to Highways, compared to Islington's £7.8m and Camden's £5.6m. In addition, it was reported that due to the level of neglect in previous years, substantial additional investment of up to £35 million is required in order to bring Haringey's performance up to acceptable levels.

In his report, Cllr. Winskill was critical of the underinvestment over many years which had led to some roads being pitted with potholes or patched so much that little of the original surface remained.

Councillor Martin Newton, Lib Dem Spokesperson for Traffic and Highways, said "This is good news for all road users in the Borough. The network has been badly neglected by Haringey Labour for too long."

Cllr Winskill adds: "I am pleased that Environment have taken note of the Panel's recommendations and have acted. Sadly because of the massive backlog of repairs, it may be some time before we see any real improvement."