Council chiefs in South Tyneside give the green light to 25 highways maintenance projects

Council chiefs in South Tyneside have given the green light to 25 highways maintenance projects.

South Tyneside Council bosses have outlined a total of 25 road resurfacing schemes that are due to take place in 2024/25.

The schemes identified in this year’s programme have been devised through the highway asset management plan process and will be split between the classified road network and local estates roads.

In order to arrive at the proposed road resurfacing programme independent accredited road condition surveys are carried out by a combination of machine and manual processes.

Council chiefs added creating a forward programme using asset management principles delivers “better evidence-based planning and ensures best value for money” with the works.

At the latest meeting of the local authority’s ruling cabinet on Wednesday, May 22, the councillors approved the 2024/25 annual road resurfacing programme.

Council chiefs said the work will ensure they “fulfil their statutory duties, help keep the public safe and maximise the life of the highway’s asset”.

Councillor Ernest Gibson, lead member for neighbourhoods and climate change, speaking at the meeting, said if the programme wasn’t approved it could “increase the risk of insurance claims”.

Roads to be resurfaced as part of the programme include Central Avenue and Sunderland Road, from Shields Road to The Nook roundabout, both in the East Shields and Whitburn area.

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In the Hebburn Community Area Forum (CAF) zone, Monkton Lane, St John’s Avenue, Alfred Street, St Oswalds Road, Verdun Avenue, Aln Street, Grant Street, Finchale Road, Windermere Crescent, Ellison Street and Campbell Park Road will benefit from resurfacing work.

The stretch of highway from Victoria Road roundabout to the Monkton Lane junction, and Mill Lane, at its junction with Victoria Road, will also have work carried out on it.

In the Riverside CAF area sections of Mile End Road, Seafield Terrace, Salem Street, Hepscott Terrace, Beach Road and Sea Road will be resurfaced.

Finally in the Jarrow and Boldon CAF area Saxon Way, Hedworth Lane in the section under Leam Lane, Church Bank from Chaytor Street to the Jarrow Hall access, and Perth Avenue from Tasmania Road to Inverness Road will benefit from improvement works.

The schemes will be funded from a £3.15million funding pot which is made up of £2.3million in council capital funding as part of their medium-term financial plan and £850,000 in local transport plan funding.

However, officers highlighted the local transport plan funding is designed to cover all the council’s highways assets, including footpaths, bridge structures, highways drainage and other schemes, which means it cannot solely be allocated to road resurfacing.

The meeting heard the council uses specialist subcontractors for the work and as part of the procurement processes there is a requirement for any contractors to demonstrate environmental and sustainability benefits.

Town hall chiefs also noted maintaining a well-constructed road network “will support several environmental and sustainability benefits”.

These included enhancing fuel efficiency by reducing wear and tear, decreasing emissions due to smoother traffic flows and minimising the need for frequent road repairs, thus conserving resources and reducing waste.

A report from council officers also noted in the area there is a “high proportion of concrete roads” and repairs to those are delivered “as part of localised patching and repair works” and do not form part of the approved roads resurfacing programme which went before councillors.