THE top councillor for Highways and Transport shared a packed report with full council last Wednesday evening (24 March).
Portfolio holder, Cllr Oliver Gerrish focused his report on the successes of the last year; £6 million street lighting replacement scheme, a Cycle Infrastructure Delivery Plan and A13 widening programme.
He said: “We have unlocked funding to deliver some really impressive works in Thurrock.
“The £90 million A13 road widening project will ensure that we add vital capacity to our roads network.
“The £12 million Stanford interchange hub will mean that residents can take better advantage of the new jobs and opportunities.
“In both cases, Thurrock Council has acted as the facilitator to draw down significant funding from the Local Growth Fund and a range of partners.
“And I can proudly say that we have not taken our eyes off the ball: the fundamentals of the highways team are being delivered.”
He added: “We are well underway with the transition from reactive maintenance (filling potholes) to proactive management of our assets.
“We will never have all of the resources to deliver everything that Thurrock’s roads need in one year. However, we are using our resources wisely, targeting our efforts, and I believe tackling the crucial improvements needed in our network.”
Speaking about keeping Thurrock connected Cllr Gerrish said: “Fobbing is connected, Horndon-on-the-Hill will be served by an extended No. 11 route and we have even been able to secure a continued 265 service through Bulphan.”
A new Lower Emission Zone enforcement pilot is due to be introduced to three areas; London Road in West Thurrock, Rectory Road in Little Thurrock and High Road in Aveley.
The scheme will see automatic number plate recognition cameras capturing lorry (HGV) movements in restricted residential areas.
He said: “We are getting tough and if we do see the expected reduction in HGVs, I want to see us expand this approach rapidly across the borough.”
