Answers, an apology and compensation required for Well Lane residents and businesses

Former Horsell Lib Dem councillor Ann-Marie Barker is seeking answers on the chaos that has engulfed Well Lane and neighbouring roads in Horsell over the last 3 months.

Residents were initially pleased when twice delayed road resurfacing started in April but their pleasure was short lived when mountains of machinery rolled into the road, they were trapped in their homes and many only learnt from contractors that speed humps on the road were not to be replaced as part of the resurfacing work. The situation got worse with a burst water main, leaking sewers, unauthorised late night working and an unexplained white dust covering everything and exacerbating existing chest problems suffered by residents.

Ann-Marie has put a series of questions to this week's Joint Committee of Surrey and Woking councillors to get answers for the residents of Well Lane and surrounding roads and seek assurances other residents and businesses won't suffer a similar fate.

Ann-Marie is asking Surrey:

i) Why it considered an experimental method of dealing with the old road surface, whereby it was to be recycled on site requiring heavy machinery and noise, suitable for a key road in a heavily populated residential area.

ii)) What controls are in place to ensure that contracted out highways work and the myriad of sub-contractors that involves, work within licenced conditions (I had to phone highways out of hours service on 2 occasions to get late night work stopped - the second time after officers had told the contractor there was to be no night working).

ii) What redress is there to be for residents and businesses who suffered over many weeks. The trade of businesses in the road, particularly the fish and chip shop has suffered.

ii) Residents will not have the same dreadful experience when other Horsell roads including Arthur's Bridge Road, Church Hill, High Street and Thornash Road are resurfaced.

"Residents deserve answers, an apology and compensation for all they have been put through in the last few months" said Ann-Marie Barker. "We need to know how this chaos was allowed to happen and that others will not suffer this fate in future just to get a local road resurfaced".