Member Led Project

Please note that the guidance notes have not yet been developed for the 2024/25 project

Guidance Notes

The following guidance outlines the scope of the Member Led Pothole Programme and processes we would like you to follow which will help us to clearly identify, plan and resolve the top priority carriageway faults that you wish to be repaired in your Division.

During the course of the progamme you will be asked to identify a total of 36 potholes. These will be requested in two batches of 18 as the work will be phased into two separate visits. From 12 June 2023, in a phased approach as per the attached programme, you are being invited to submit the first batch of 18 potholes to be considered for repair.

Resources are being put in place to carry out this work, which will be in addition to the other programmed (safety priority) works that Essex Highways deliver. Potholes can be repaired more efficiently if you ask for repairs that are in the same or nearby roads.

The works will continue until the budget for the initiative has been exhausted.

Scope and process

From 12 June 2023, County Members are invited to provide Essex Highways with an initial batch of 18 potholes that you, your local parishes and any unparished areas would particularly like to see repaired most urgently, across your County Division during phase one of the programme. We would like you to compile and submit your first batch in line with the attached programme.
If you represent a two-Member Division, please consider liaising with your Divisional colleague, to get the best overall result for your shared area.
Please focus on road (‘carriageway’) faults you wish to be resolved. Please do not include footway (pavement and kerb), streetlight, gully, or other faults you may have as part of your submission to the programme. These matters can be reported in the normal way.
Your identified potholes should provide us with road names and as much as possible, precise locations. You can use maps or ‘What3words’ or house numbers etc to help us identify locations.
Please report requests to be considered under this scheme directly into the ‘Member’s Tell Us’ webpage www.essexhighways.org/members-tell-us. It is important to note that requests can only be received from 12 June, and that your Essex County Councillor email address will be required (not your personal email addresses).
- If possible, include at least two good photographs of each defect. It would be most helpful if one photograph is a close-up of the defect, and the second one shows the position of the defect in the road, relative to adjacent properties and identifying landmarks. Please do not put yourself or others at risk when taking photographs.
- As stated above, please identify the exact location of the defect. Please be as accurate as possible – include road and village/town name but also, where possible, details of house number(s) or business(es) that the defect is adjacent to.
- Please note any other useful information that you think might help us. For instance, if the road is narrow or parking is tight; and so on.
- Please note if the defect is outside a ‘higher risk’ area – for instance if there is a children’s nursery, school, college, or care home adjacent. Local intelligence will help us plan to do the works safely.
Planning and execution of repairs will start as soon as lists start to be received by Essex Highways in line with the attached programme.
If you have any queries about this scheme, you may wish to talk with your highways officer ‘buddy’ for further help.

For information

Where your list identifies a fault that we already know is going to be resolved through a future confirmed programme of work such as major resurfacing, we will inform you.
The fault may meet our criteria for “making safe” urgently, in which case we will do that as we cannot compromise road users’ safety.
Scheduling and completion of works will be subject to prevailing weather conditions.

We hope to resolve all the carriageway issues you highlight that are within our overall capacity, and appreciate your help and co-operation in making this possible by following these guidelines.

Examples of ‘In Scope’and ‘Out of Scope’ carriageway defects for Member Led Pothole Repair Programme

Illustrated below are examples of the sort of potholes we can deal with under this Member Led Repair Programme followed by examples of works that fall outside the scope of the scheme, which we will not be able to repair.