A major route was dug up for gas and water work less than three days after it was resurfaced.
Ditchling Road was closed overnight for nearly two weeks to resurface sections of the road between Fiveways and Viaduct Road/Upper Lewes Road junction.
The last part, south from Vere Road was completed by contractors working for Brighton and Hove City Council on Wednesday 12 November.
However, just two days later temporary traffic lights were in place by the junction with Warleigh Road, and again from Monday 17 November, at Bromley Road, as both Southern Water and Southern Gas Networks dug up the road.
Cabinet member for transport and city infrastructure, Labour councillor Trevor Muten has been promoting the resurfacing work across main routes across the city on his social media, including the Ditchling Road programme which started on Monday 3 November.
Councillor Muten said: “Unfortunately, both Southern Gas Networks and Southern Water have had to carry out emergency works on the newly resurfaced section of Ditchling Road.
“We appreciate that the timing is frustrating and very disappointing, but these were unplanned and necessary to maintain safety and essential services.
“The council is working closely with both contractors to ensure the road surface is reinstated to a standard as close as possible to the recent resurfacing.”
Why does that not surprise me. I have had the misfortune to deal with Councillor Muten In my capacity as Secretary of Hollingdean Residents Association.
He is in charge of parking s emergency I Holli gdean .
I td him at North area panel inSeptember that he had no idea what the people of Holli gdean wants
He told me that the Residents of Hollingdean had been asked what they want. Only part of Hollingdean was asked their views .
He has been promising a walkabout for months to see what the issues were
The council will soon be using Hollingdean to make money by placing resident parking bays in Hollingdean below The Dip (Hollingbury Place).
His own friend Councillor Mohammed Aserduzzaman has requested a meeting and it has not happened.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE CITY COUNCIL ARE NOT CAPABLE OF RUNNING THIS CITY.
We in Hollingdean have 2 councillors who care about residents. (Mohammed Aserduzzman and Theresa Fowler andeven they have struggled to get things done without cutting thru 3 mes of red tape.
This council does not care or want to listen to Residents. Ian Beck (secretary Hollingdean Residents Association)
Bet the council didn’t ask if works were due.
As for the comment about hollingdean parking permits, mate, the whole city has it. Stop moaning and maybe walk more.
The article says these were emergency works so not planned.
Yeah, I don’t buy that . I do buy that someone in highways probably didn’t check with the water company and gas company about any upcoming works in the area. It’s not completely fantasy land to imagine someone probably didn’t do their job.
I agree Dave, the whole city has problems with parking. Regards all the “statutory authorities” (water, gas, electricity, sewage) they don’t need planning and they are able to work where they want, when they want. It’s written in law. I’ve worked in construction for 45 years and as soon as new roads go in, one of the services will turn up and dig a hole in it. Then fill it with crap.
Wow! 2 days after resurfacing the road! And the Emergency works that weren’t planned… pull the other one? Do you think the residents are stupid and naive?
Anyone who lives, works and drives around the city will know it’s all a bit of a laugh to the council. But most importantly. What a complete waste of money. Ditching road “was” lovely to drive on for them two days.
There is no way in hell. Southern Water or Southern Gas will return the road to how it was, newly resurfaced and smooth like the great job they did do with the resurfacing only a few days before…
Southern water can’t even dispose of waste water properly. So reinstating a road surface back to how it was before they dug it up! Impossible and Don’t hold your breath!
The council and these companies are the gift that keeps on giving to this city. Not a good gift either. A gift of inconvenience and incompetence. Not a city I’m born and bred in that was once a lovely city to live, work and drive in. That attracted people here not stopped them from coming.
The council are incompetent as are southern water!
Absolute joke and a total waste of time, effort and money!
Well done everyone involved in keeping this city at a standstill.
The Congestion charge is within arms reach for BHCC.
Bit by bit, chip away at the road infrastructure, cause more hold ups and delays for vehicles which in turn keeps congestion high but most of all frustrate the residents who rely on their cars for work or living their life.
Not everyone can, is able to or has the health to get on a push bike Councillor Mutten.
Unbelievable!
Who exactly is planning the road works in this city??? It seems that almost every major road currently has infrastructure works taking place, with roads dug up, roads closed, temporary lights all over the place, and massive hold ups across Brighton and Hove. God help anyone trying to drive into the city for festive shopping or fun.
Trevor is responsible for running the Transport part of our £1,000m a year enterprise, it is not helpful to blame him for individual failings in day to day operations, they didn’t suddenly start happening when he came on the scene.
Do blame him for not changing Transport policy to address how we have become the second worst of 190 councils on road congestion with its inevitable Air Pollution (Health) and Economic damage … that is damaging our city far more than a few operational problems,
Read his 10 year Transport Plan and weep.
Hi is Captain Chaos
Funny how St Georges Rd in Kemptown is also subject to gas repairs in the run up to Christmas. This is sounding more and more like deliberate city sabotage. So many road works and closures simultaneously. Councillor Muten needs to be held accountable for his damage to the local economy. If it’s all down to incompetent planning, that is equally unacceptable.
Councillor Muten is held to account at each election. I am no fan of his proposals. The unelected officials are less accountable but in this situation, as it is described as emergency works, I think that it is unfortunate. I hope that they ensure that the remedial works are of the highest standard.
Cllr Muten is the one posing in all the social media photographs next to all the road havoc he appears to be proudly claiming credit for. He is welcome to name and shame the rest hiding behind his high-viz.
I have 1 request. Put viaduct road / ditching road next to the level back to 2 ways. Divert the London bound traffic that way, instead of funnelling all of it including the busses into that bottleneck by McDonald’s.
London road will suddenly become a very nice place to be. Could probably get rid of the red lines as well as the through traffic would only be busses and a few delivery vans
thats typical..come on surely the gas and water company knew of the fact they needed to replace underground pipes..why couldnt the ask the council and work together..roads are never the same after being disturbed and pot holes forming on newly resurfaced roads…come all of you get together and do the replacement works alongside council..ok emergencies do happen but lack of communication is a key element
Its nearly as crazy as digging up 7000 square metres of grass pitches and replacing them with plastic every 10 years @£100+k costs just to remove the plastic pitch.
The real problem in this the amount of heavy vehicles using these roads causing damage. Western Road was resurfaced and redesigned last year. The result is chaos as buses struggle to get past delivery trucks and vans parking wherever they like, and often then the drivers sit using their mobile while creating queues of buses trying to pass.
Why don’t the council adopt the european method of roads in towns. All deliveries have to take place before a certain time in the morning. The result of this is that many roads are free from traffic and become pleasant areas to walk through. Too many buses also, along western road, a few buses could flow between the stein and Palmeria square. Passengers then alight and catch another bus to complete their journey, instead of 6 buses in queues on both sides of the road ferrying people into a congestion.