Residents left in limbo over road surfacing work which should have started in September have been told it will now not be done until March next year – because of weather conditions.
Residents living in Old Charlton Road and Wratten Road East, Hitchin, were informed via a notice put up by Herts Highways, that work was going to start on September 27 and would last one day, but a month on nothing has been done.
Residents were told in order for work to be carried out on worn-out road surfaces, vehicles would need to be moved to clear the area.
One resident of Old Charlton Road, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We are fed up and frustrated by this. Every night we move our cars and in the morning find that another sign has been put up to say that the work has been postponed or the date has changed.
“I am lucky because I have a drive and can park my car there, but for most people they have to park far away from their house.
“People that work nearby at LV= Liverpool Victoria on Tilehouse Street are also being affected by this. It is totally ridiculous. We need the work to be done because there are potholes everywhere.”
Another resident, Phillip Jones, said: “Our biggest inconvenience is that my disabled mother has carers come to see her four times a day and they have nowhere to park.
“We also have an elderly person’s minibus that comes to take her to a day centre, and we have to rearrange that each time they put up a sign to say they will be doing the work, because they wouldn’t be able to get into the road.”
A sign from the district council says that parking restrictions will also be enforced from Monday, with road markings to deter people from parking on the road, but this has been delayed because the resurfacing work has not been carried out.
Mr Jones, who has lived in Old Charlton Road for the past five years, said he paid £80 for three parking permits because North Herts District Council (NHDC) was enforcing the restriction.
“I can’t understand the total miscommunication between the two authorities, and I will be asking for a credit for the time we have not used the parking permits.”
Herts County Council (HCC) said the delay was due to a mechanical failure of some of the equipment needed to carry out the work. Once this issue was resolved, the scheme was scheduled to begin on October 18. However, poor weather conditions meant this was not possible.
A spokesman for HCC said: “We are using a micro asphalt treatment which is not possible to lay in wet conditions or in lower temperatures. Now that these weather conditions are becoming more prevalent, we have reluctantly had to postpone the treatment until March 2014.”
Cllr Tom Brindley, NHDC’s portfolio holder for planning, transport and enterprise, said: “We had been waiting for resurfacing work to be completed by Herts County Council before refreshing some resident parking lines in Wratten Road East, and adding new bays in Old Charlton Road, as well as limited waiting areas to free up space for visitors and people using local businesses.
“We now understand that this work has been postponed until next March, so we will schedule in the work to lay down the new lines by the end of this month.”
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