Ongoing Highways investment sees 15,000 extra repairs with more to come

Local Councillors are identifying the priority potholes in their areas that need repairing

More than 15,000 extra road and pavement repairs have been done across Essex in the past year through the Members’ Highways Initiative (MHI).

The MHI gives every Essex County Councillor a dedicated Essex Highways crew. Councillors can prioritise local highways issues that matter most to residents.

In the 2024 to 2025 financial year 15,104 repairs were completed through the programme. This is on top of regular maintenance repairs.

The works have included:

• 8,000 carriageway defect repairs, such as potholes and surface damage
• 6,000 footway repairs, including kerbs and paving issues
• Replacing or repairing bollards, signs, pedestrian guard rails and surface covers.

The initiative runs alongside other works, including Essex Highways core maintenance schedule, and last year’s extra £25 million Priority One resurfacing programme.

The MHI is now fully funded and continuing into the 2025/26 financial year. Local councillors and Essex Highways teams are already working together on new rounds of repairs. These will improve the safety of roads and pavements and keep Essex moving.

Councillor Tom Cunningham, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure, and Sustainable Transport at Essex County Council said: “We launched the Member’s Highways Initiative to give power to the people who know their communities best – our County Councillors.

The results speak for themselves, with over 15,000 extra repairs this year alone, tackling the issues that residents see and care about the most.

“This work is helping us build a safer, greener and healthier Essex. I’m proud to confirm the initiative will continue into the new financial year. Our teams are already out across the county delivering real results for residents.”