Willingdon resident voices concerns over ‘atrocious’ road

A resident has raised concerns over the state of a Willingdon road that is ‘falling apart’.

Paul Buckle said he has been trying to get Coopers Hill resurfaced for two years.

He said, “I have contacted East Sussex Highways on numerous occasions and reported it to local councillors and our MP. Alas, no sign or notification that it will be repaired.

“Caroline Ansell MP and Raymond Shing have respectively acknowledged the problem and reported it, which I am thankful for.

“It is an absolute disgrace in my opinion. Two years ago I got virtually every resident in the road to sign a petition, which was presented at a councillor’s meeting. Sadly, nothing came of it.”

Mr Buckle said he appreciates that budgets may be tight but fears the state a road may get worse before it is fully repaired.

He added, “The road is falling apart. It was bad two years ago and now it is even worse.

“There are potholes galore, ruts, cracks, sunken trenches.

“The road is in an atrocious state, as far as I am concerned.”

Mr Buckle said the road is also used by buses, farm vehicles and cyclists.

He said, “To add insult to injury, Upper King’s Drive two weeks before Christmas had an extensive patching repair programme and it is not in half as bad condition as Coopers Hill.”

An East Sussex Highways spokesperson said, “To ensure best use of our limited resources, we prioritise work on those sections of road most in need of repair according to national guidelines and county council policies.

“Our local highway steward has inspected Coopers Hill and identified two potholes that meet our criteria for repair – one at the junction with Butts Lane and the other close to Portsdown Way, and this work should be completed before the end of January.

“We will continue to monitor the rest of the road and will arrange for any necessary repairs to be carried out when intervention levels are met.

“For more information on our criteria for carrying out repairs can be found on our website.”