Agenda item

This report outlines the Council’s proposals in response to a petition received on 15 May 2017 regarding the condition of the pavements and road surface of Reeves Avenue, NW9.

RESOLVED that:

(i)         The petition regarding the condition of the pavements and road surface of Reeves Avenue (NW9), be noted;

(ii)        Any areas deemed defective by officers on both road and pavements be repaired, using existing revenue maintenance budgets. The Committee noted that whilst the proposal was not a complete resurface of road and pavement, it would repair and present significant defects; and

(iii)       Tony Kennedy (the Council’s Head of Highways and Infrastructure) would meet with the lead petitioner on the road in question to offer further explanation in person on the defects and outline the aspects that Council would prioritise for repair.

The Chair invited Mr Humphryes to speak on the content of his petition. Mr Humphryes began by explaining where Reeves Avenue was located within the borough and outlined that there were a number of community services such as a doctor’s surgery, dentist, pharmacy and post office in close proximity to the road. He also mentioned that it was the main thoroughfare for the 302 and 83 bus services, and was also used as access for Hendon Town Football Club nearby.

My Humphryes asserted that since Brent Council had renovated the pavement with asphalt, it had become unsightly and dangerous. He also said that a number of similar roads in the area, such as Mallard Way, had been fully resurfaced and had had significant pavement repairs from the Council. He said that the residents of the road wanted an equal level of refurbishment with neighbouring roads and called on the Committee to agree a solution which achieved this. 

Jonathan Westell (the Council’s Highway Contracts and Delivery Manager) responded and noted the complaints from the 54 residents who had signed the petition which were based on uneven and broken pavements, plus cracks and potholes in the road. He outlined that the most recent highway condition surveys for Reeves Avenue had shown that 75% of the road surface was deemed to be in ‘good’ or ‘fair’ condition, and that 95% of the pavements were in ‘fair’ condition, with the remaining 5% in ‘good’ condition. He explained that the survey data meant that neither the road nor pavements on Reeves Avenue would currently be candidates for complete resurfacing. However, he did acknowledge that the patches on the pavements were unsightly and that the road surface next to the kerb had been damaged from the prevalence of two wheel parking on the road. He also noted that there were a number defects on the road surface, despite the vast majority being in good or fair condition, and outlined that the report recommended that officers repair the defects using existing revenue maintenance budgets.

Members questioned if each house on the road had a driveway and also how many times officers had been to inspect the road. Mr Humphryes confirmed that each house had a driveway but that there remained problems with parking on the road. Jonathan Westell also confirmed that officers had visited the road on two occasions recently. In the ensuing discussion a member of the Committee commented that the Council was presently in a difficult financial situation and therefore had to prioritise repairs to roads and pavements in a ‘bad’ condition. It was also mentioned that using asphalt on pavements allowed for an approximate 15-20% saving compared to paving slabs, which enabled the Council to repair more pavements across the borough.

Tony Kennedy (the Council’s Head of Highways and Infrastructure) offered to meet Mr Humphryes on Reeves Avenue to explain the aspects of the road and pavement that the Council would seek to repair. He re-iterated that the condition surveys had indicated that both the road and pavement were structurally sound and therefore not a priority for a complete resurface.

RESOLVED that:

(i)         The petition regarding the condition of the pavements and road surface of Reeves Avenue (NW9), be noted;

(ii)        Any areas deemed defective by officers on both road and pavements be repaired, using existing revenue maintenance budgets. The Committee noted that whilst the proposal was not a complete resurface of road and pavement, it would repair and present significant defects; and

(iii)       Tony Kennedy (the Council’s Head of Highways and Infrastructure) would meet with the lead petitioner on the road in question to offer further explanation in person on the defects and outline the aspects that Council would prioritise for repair.