MORE than 140 crater-pocked roads across south Essex will benefit from £17.5million of repair work announced in a new Essex County Council programme.

County Hall has listed roads in Basildon, Castle Point and Rochford council areas to be fixed under a programme, partly funded by a Government grant.

Whitehall is giving Essex £4.4million towards repairs to 700 roads countywide in the coming months – and motorists are already starting to notice the difference, says veteran Canvey county councillor Ray Howard..

Having got used to hearing complaints about the state of local roads, Mr Howard says he is now getting people commenting on howmuch better they are.

He added: “It’s nice to hear people say to me their road has been repaired and they’re pleased.

“I’m delighted we have been able to make this possible and it’s something we can build on. I’m very pleased, but I’m not going to get complacent.

“My main concern has always been elderly people falling over, so we need to do what we can to make our roads and pavements safe for them.”

Taxi driver Ralph Morgan, who speaks for Basildon Hackney Carriage Association, has long campaigned for potholes to be repaired.

In Basildon borough alone, between 2008 and 2012, County Hall paid £1.2million compensation to 309 people who successfully claimed for pothole damage to cars and cycles.

Mr Morgan welcomed the fact many of what he says are the worst-affected roads – including Miles Gray Road, The Hatherley and Honeypot Lane – are to be fixed.

He added: “I have noticed some of the roads have been done already, and the brilliant thing is they are being done properly.

“I always said there was no point dumping stuff in the potholes.

They need to be repaired properly or else it won’t last.

“Whole roads are being re-surfaced, rather than just the potholes being fixed. That’s the way to do it. It’s definitelymoney well spent.

“Potholes really affect me because of my job, and they have been blighting the streets of Basildon for too long now.”

Mike Carrington, 67, first complained about the state of Leslie Road, Rayleigh, more than three months ago.

He said the road was dangerous and he was worried about taking his 93-year-old wheelchair- bound mother-in-law outside because of potholes and damaged kerbstones.

Mr Carrington said: “The road desperately needs repairing because, quite frankly, its dangerous at the moment.

“The council has been working on the pavements for the past month. We didn’t really believe it would actually happen, so this is absolutely brilliant.”

Essex’s £4.4million grant is one of the biggest Whitehall has awarded from its £168million “pothole fund”.

The county council had already earmarked cash to fix potholes and last month set aside a further £5.6million.

Rodney Bass, county councillor responsible for highways, said: “These roads are in urgent need of repair and we are making the manpower available to get the job done – recently doubling the number of maintenance crews to 36 to bring the roads up to standard.”

LOCAL ROADS TO BE FIXED

BASILDON

Beambridge, Pitsea
Bourne Avenue, Laindon
Braiswick Place, Laindon
Brooklands Park, Laindon
Burlington Court, Pitsea
Chenies Drive, Laindon
Cherrydown West, Basildon
Claydon Crescent, Basildon
Cranes Close, Basildon
Delimands, Pitsea
Dewsgreen, Pitsea
Downey Close, Basildon
Elm Green, Pitsea
Gambleside, Vange
The Hatherley, Basildon
Helmores, Laindon
Highlands Road, Basildon
Honeypot Lane, Basildon
King Edward Road, Laindon
Laburnum Avenue, Wickford
Leigh Fells, Basildon
Littlebury Green, Basildon
Mapleford Sweep, Basildon
Mariskals, Basildon
Market Road, Basildon
Markhams Chase, Laindon
Marsh View Court, Basildon
Mellow Purgess Close, Laindon
Merrylands, Basildon
Methersgate, Basildon
Middle Crockerford, Vange
Miles Gray Road, Basildon
Moretons, Pitsea
Paycocke Road, Basildon
Plumleys, Basildon
Polsteads, Vange
Ravenscourt Drive Vange
Redgrave Road, Vange
Rokescroft, Pitsea
Rookyards, Basildon
Rose Acre, Basildon
Somerset Gardens, Basildon
Stannetts, Basildon
Swanstead, Vange
Tanswell Avenue, Basildon
Tylers Avenue, Laindon
Una Road, Bowers Gifford
Winifred Road, Pitsea

CASTLE POINT

Antony Close, Canvey
Athos Road, Canvey
Barnards Avenue, Canvey
Beatrice Avenue, Canvey
Benderloch, Canvey
Beverley Avenue, Canvey
Birch Close, Benfleet
The Birches, Benfleet
Brookside, Canvey
Burwell Avenue, Canvey
Church Parade, Canvey
Clifton Road, Canvey
Deepwater Road, Canvey
Fairview, Canvey
The Fairway, Benfleet
Fenwick Way, Canvey
Ferrymead, Canvey
First Avenue, Canvey
Grafton Road, Canvey
Hawkesbury Road, Canvey
Helmsdale, Canvey
Henson Avenue, Canvey
Hertford Road, Canvey
Hilton Road, Canvey
Holbek Road, Canvey
Keer Avenue, Canvey
Kennedy Close, Benfleet
Kings Road, Canvey
Korndyk Avenue, Canvey
Labworth Road, Canvey
Lakeview, Canvey
The Larches, Benfleet
The Lawns, Benfleet
Leigh Beck Lane, Canvey
Lincoln Way, Canvey
Linden Way, Canvey
Lionel Road, Canvey
Little Gypps Road, Canvey
Mandeville Way, Benfleet
Maplin Close, Benfleet
Marine Approach, Canvey
Mornington Road, Canvey
Odessa Road, Canvey
Overton Road, Benfleet
Paarl Road, Canvey
Palmerstone Road, Canvey
Parklands, Canvey
Roggel Road, Canvey

ROCHFORD

The Approach, Rayleigh
Bedloes Avenue, Rawreth
Branksome Avenue, Hockley
Briar Close, Hawkwell
Broad Walk, Hockley
Brocksford Avenue, Rayleigh
Brook Road, Rayleigh
Castle Drive, Rayleigh
The Chase, Rayleigh
Cheapside West, Rayleigh
Connaught Road, Rayleigh
Copford Avenue, Rayleigh
Creswick Avenue, Rayleigh
Deepdene Avenue, Rayleigh
Elmwood Avenue, Hawkwell
Everest, Rayleigh
Foxfield Close, Ashingdon
Gladstone Road, Hockley
Golden Cross Parade, Hawkwell
Great Wheatley Road, Rayleigh
Hambro Parade, Rayleigh
Hartford Close, Rayleigh
Havenside, Barling Magna
Hawkwell Chase, Hawkwell
Hawkwell Park Drive, Hawkwell
Helena Road, Rayleigh
Heron Gardens, Rayleigh
Hillside Avenue, Hawkwell
Holt Farm Way, Hawkwell
Kings Farm, Rayleigh
Knivet Close, Rayleigh
Lee Lotts, Great Wakering
Leonard Drive, Rayleigh
Leslie Road, Rayleigh
Little Wheatley Chase, Rayleigh
London Road Service Road West,
Rayleigh
Love Lane, Rayleigh
Manns Way, Rayleigh
Mercer Avenue, Great Wakering
Nevern Road, Rayleigh
Orchard Avenue, Hockley
Orchard Close, Great Wakering
The Paddocks, Rayleigh
Park Gardens, Hawkwell
Peach Avenue, Hockley
Picton Close, Rayleigh
The Ramparts, Rayleigh
Rookery Close, Rayleigh

NB: Roads in Southend and Thurrock are not listed since their highways are not maintained by Essex County Council.