A councillor has voiced frustration at having to wait for years for his street to be resurfaced.
Councillor Josh Williams lives in Cumberland Road in the Newtown area of East Reading.
The road is also home to the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, the Cumberland Road Masjid, and Kaushal Jewellers, and provides access to the Kennet Side footpath.
Cllr Williams (Green, Park) expressed exasperation that the street hasn’t been resurfaced, despite featuring in a programme of works.
He raised the issue at Reading Borough Council policy committee meeting on Monday, July 13.
Cllr Williams said: “In the lead-up to the local elections in 2020, then lead councillor for transport, Tony Page, announced that there would be ‘Reading’s biggest ever investment in new road surfaces for residential streets’, which included, in phase one, Cumberland Road.
“Six years later, nothing has happened yet to Cumberland Road, and it still needs resurfacing.
“Can the lead councillor for transport explain the delay to residents, and assure them that it will be resurfaced this year?
“Can he also tell us what other roads that were announced for resurfacing have faced such delays, and why?”
John Ennis (Labour, Southcote), lead councillor for transport, answered: “Since 2020, the council has invested over £17 million in residential roads and footways, enabling the resurfacing of more than 700 residential roads and 200 sections of principal roads. This investment has significantly improved the overall condition of Reading’s highway network.
“Cumberland Road was originally identified for a micro-asphalt treatment.
“However, further assessment by our contractor found that this was not an appropriate solution.
“The road requires more extensive reconstruction and resurfacing works, which are considerably more costly and therefore need to be prioritised alongside other schemes across the borough.
“As a result, Cumberland Road has not yet been included in a resurfacing programme. Whilst it remains on the list of roads being considered for future works, I cannot give an assurance that it will be resurfaced this year, as a number of higher-priority roads currently require attention first.
“Cumberland Road is not the only scheme whose proposed treatment has changed following detailed assessment.
“Highway maintenance programmes are reviewed annually, and priorities can change as road conditions deteriorate elsewhere, budgets are allocated, and engineering surveys identify different treatment requirements.
“In the meantime, the road will continue to be inspected under the council’s risk-based maintenance regime, and any defects requiring repair will be addressed as necessary.”
Cllr Williams then asked for a polite apology to residents in the road for the lack of resurfacing.
Replying, Cllr Ennis said: “It’s good for your ward work, I appreciate that. I think we need to take this in the grand scheme of things, that this was the best investment that this council has made with required roads.
“It was a massive piece of work that involved every major network in all parts of Reading, which were successfully resurfaced.
“So I think it should be a thank you from the residents who I know have been appreciative of the roads.
“Yes, there were one or two roads that didn’t make it.
“I think it would be inappropriate, in my view, to apologise that Cumberland Road didn’t get done when over 700 residential roads and 200 sections of principal roads were actually done.”
