LANE closures at the Sadlers Farm roundabout will finally be removed by the end of the month, it has been promised.

Castle Point MP Rebecca Harris held a crunch meeting with Balfour Beatty bosses yesterday to demand work is carried out at a rapid rate following five years of delays.

Balfour Beatty began repairs works to the A13/A130 junction of Sadlers Farm Roundabout, near Benfleet, in 2017, after Essex County Council discovered a number of defects.

However, lane closures have remained in place since, leaving residents in the area hugely frustrated as the £63million works take place.

Mrs Harris met with Balfour Beatty managing director, Lindsay McGibbon, to raise frustrations about the ongoing work, where he promised lane closures would be removed by the end of November.

Speaking at the meeting Mrs Harris said: “Thousands of hours of Castle Point residents’ lives have been wasted stuck in traffic, hours they could have spent at work or home with their families.

“I am however very grateful that Sadlers Farm has been receiving attention at the top of the business and to have received commitments in person from a managing director of the firm.

“I am pleased that the current lane closures are due to be removed by the end of the month and I will be watching to ensure they keep that commitment.

“Although I am disappointed they tell me there is likely to be one more period of lane closures necessary next year to complete their work, they are required by Essex Highways to complete it to such a standard that further structural works should not need to take place for decades.”

Lane closures will be reintroduced so the work can be fully completed at a later date.

Following the meeting, Mr McGibbon said: “We have offered our apologies for the inconvenience caused by the ongoing works and remain steadfast in our commitment to completing this programme of remedial works as soon as possible, at no additional cost to the taxpayer. We truly understand the inconvenience that these essential works have caused and I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank the public and the local com