Critics cutting up rough as ‘ropey’ Stevenage road repairs still fail to go smoothly

Chunks are missing from the newly-laid road surface in Oundle Court, Stevenage (Image: Archant)

The Comet reported last month that The Oundle in Broadwater had become riddled with holes when newly-laid bitumen came away in chunks – Herts County Council admitted that the team carrying out the work on County Hall’s behalf had run into ‘technical difficulty’.

They promised the road would be repaired as soon as possible, but neighbours say attempts to fix it have left it worse than it was before.

Peter Craig said: “The repairs consist of dollops of bitumen slapped on the worst holes.

“This poor standard isn’t confined to that area – streets in Bragbury End have been similarly bespoiled.”

Tracey King said: “We don’t have holes any more, but unsightly mounds – I’m not quite sure which is worse.

“It’s still lumpy and bumpy. It’s awful and it’s not going to last. Come the winter, it will all come back up again.

“It really is unsightly and unacceptable, especially considering it didn’t really need doing in the first place.”

Chris Grint is up in arms about the state of Oundle Court.

He said: “Do they think this work is acceptable, as this is a brand new surface paid for by the taxpayer?

“The substrate has not even been primed to receive the new tarmac and the original kerbs have been totally ruined.

“As it has now rained, I would imagine there is water between the old and new surfaces.

“Overall, the court looks worse than before.”

Regarding The Oundle, a county council spokesman said: “We appreciate residents’ concerns, but the patch repairs will blend in with the new surface over time as the traffic beds it in.”

They added: “We will be inspecting the work carried out by our contractor at The Oundle and Oundle Court.

“If any defects are identified, they will be rectified by the contractor at their own expense.

“We apologise to residents for any inconvenience in the meantime.”