Call for ‘long-suffering’ road to be resurfaced after ‘21 years of patience’

Nicholas Thomas Local Democracy Reporter

Residents of a “long-suffering” street in Llandevaud are crying out for their road surface to finally be completed, a Newport councillor has claimed.

But those living on Bramble Way are unlikely to see the works carried out as a priority, owing to the city council’s wider £119 million maintenance backlog.

Cllr William Routley said the street will celebrate its 21st birthday this year, and “we’d love to mark the occasion with a little something special – the completion of [the road’s] top surface”.

In a written question to a cabinet member, the Conservative representative from the Bishton and Langstone ward said residents were “thrilled” to hear Newport City Council would allocate an extra £6 million for road improvements this year.

21 year wait

Of the Bramble Way surface, he said “we were hoping you might be able to find a half-penny’s worth of spare change to finally finish this job”.

“We’d hate for it to turn into a ‘we’re-waiting-on-the-Welsh-Government-for-funding-so-it-will-be-considered-along-with-other-similar-roads’ situation,” he said, adding residents “would love to celebrate 21 years of patience with, finally, success”.

Cllr Rhian Howells, the cabinet member for infrastructure, said the council’s own Highway Asset Management Plan “places the current highway maintenance backlog at £119 million”. “Therefore, whilst the £6 million investment is the biggest for over a decade, it is not possible to resurface every road we would like to,” she said.

The cabinet member said inspections were carried out according to council policies “and funding allocated as a result”.

“The surface of Bramble Way may be considered aesthetically poor, but it is in good structural condition with no defects that meet the council’s defect intervention criteria,” she added