URGENT calls have been made to reduce the speed limit on a damaged stretch of the A127 to 30mph to prevent homes from shaking when lorries hit potholes.

Residents on the busy stretch between the Southend boundary and Progress Road want the road to be resurfaced, saying heavy traffic going over potholes is causing cracks in their walls.

Belfairs ward councillor Stephen Aylen said the road was never designed to take that much traffic.

He said: “The properties either side of the A127 from the border to Progress Road are suffering because of the road surface.

“Houses and flats are being shaken with cracks appearing in some in the flats on the Belfairs side. Items on shelves are falling off overnight.

“People cannot work from home and trying to sleep at night is difficult and windows are not even opened, due to the noise and vibration.”

Mr Aylen called for a temporary reduction in the speed limit to 30mph until the “urgent” work is carried out.

He added: “Underneath the road it is falling apart. It was never designed to take this amount of traffic.”

A resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I have been here 30 years and its always been busy but in the last few years the road surface has been breaking up with all the 50tonne lorries going by.

“You can’t sleep with the windows open. You just hear great thuds as the lorries go over the potholes. It’s quite a worry that it could be doing damage to our homes. When the road is resurfaced it’s fine. You don’t get the vibrations, but now it’s constant noise from 4am.”

Ron Woodley, deputy leader of Southend council is overseeing £10million of road repairs over the next year.

He said: “This is why we need to spend this money because we have had years of neglect. We have to deal with these appalling potholes.

“Because of the neglect we will need to spend £10million a year for the next 18 years to carry out the repair work.

“Council officers carried out a survey and we are repairing the worst affected roads first.

“I will be with our highways team to look at this stretch of the A127.

“It may be something we can get done outside of this resurfacing project.”