Council and developer defends Aylesbury roadworks described as 'unsafe' by residents

Bucks Council and developers overseeing work on an Aylesbury estate have defended the current state of the roads.

Residents have raised concerns with the current conditions the roads have been left in on Buckingham Park, feeling the area is unsafe.

At Buckingham Park, Taylor Wimpey has authorised surfacing work to build a ramp as a traffic calming measure on the estate.

But the work has been criticised for the way the contractors have tried to improve it, the quality of the completed surfacing and the safety measures being undertaken while the project was ongoing.

The Bucks Herald provided three photos of the area that the estate's community are unhappy with to Taylor Wimpey and Bucks Council.

A spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey advised that since the photos were taken more work has been done to improve the surface work residents are unhappy with.

A Taylor Wimpey spokesperson said: “We are working closely with our appointed contractor to complete final works to the roads at Buckingham Park for which we are still responsible. We anticipate that these works will be completed in the coming weeks before they are adopted by Buckinghamshire Council.”

The spokesperson stated that the works are being carried out on Prince Rupert Drive, Colonel Grantham Avenue and the roundabout linking to Martin Dalby Way.

The firm also insists that any work completed will be done to a standard approved by Bucks Council and it is currently anticipated that the authority will adopt the roads before the end of this year.

Councillor Gareth Williams said: “We have been working closely with the main developer at this site throughout this process and have tried to keep interested parties informed of the latest works and developments throughout.

“In the construction phase of a project like this, the contractor working on behalf of the developer is responsible for maintaining the roads and footways as the building work progresses.

"This responsibility does not fall to the council. We work closely with developers to advise and support but responsibility for maintaining these areas only falls to the council once the works are complete and the developer makes an application to have the roads formally adopted by the local authority.

“At this stage the developer at Buckingham Park is carrying out final works as appears to be shown in these photos. These include preparation for the installation of raised areas of the carriageway at two junctions on the main route through the estate to provide traffic calming features. In addition most of the road surfaces are yet to have their final tarmac surface laid. This is usually left until close to the finish and is normal practice.

“The third photograph appears to show vehicles parked on footways. Obstructing a footway is an offence but this is a police matter. Parking restrictions may be an option in the future but this can only occur once the roads and footways have been formally adopted.”

Residents remain concerned about the lack of scrutiny and accountability surrounding the works.

When one resident of Buckingham Park contacted the parish council looking for an explanation regarding the construction, he received the following response: "To state that the Parish Council is not concerned about the state of the Buckingham Park roads, is not correct.

"We have spent many years raising the matter of road adoption with both Taylor Wimpey, local County Councillors and Bucks Council officers. It is Bucks Council who has the responsibility for these matters, and the parish council have no enforcement powers, but that does not mean we are not concerned.

"The Parish Council is just as frustrated and angry as you are over this matter, and yet still nothing is being done about finishing the road network on Buckingham Park. This matter should be taken up by Buckinghamshire Council local Buckingham Park Ward Members.

"It is Bucks Council who should be project managing new builds and road networks in these new developments, and the parish council has been asking for a dedicated officer to deal with these matters for many years now. We are also well aware that other new build developments experience the same problems well after all the houses have been built yet it appears no one learns from this."