Letter: Paving the way for smooth road repairs

Sir: I read your report 'The roadworks from Hell' (25 March), about the substantial build-up of roadworks, with more than passing interest. I travel the country quite a lot, and I am not aware that there is increased activity in roadworks merely because of the need to spend (budget surpluses before the end of the fiscal year). There is indeed a lot of work going on to rebuild many roads first constructed in the 1960s and 1970s that are now worn out.

Many local authorities have introduced budgeting arrangements that enable managers to plan their work well ahead and spread the misery evenly throughout the year, weather permitting, although this is not the problem it used to be. In Surrey, managers are permitted to carry forward under- or over-spendings to the following year. There is no late further allocation to cover cost increases during the year, and once a programme has been voted it is left to the manager to allocate resources accordingly. In this way, the accounting policies and the local taxation decision to fill up the empty budget bucket are completely separated.

Yours sincerely,

LOU SCALES

Head of Performance

Management & Review

Surrey County Council

Kingston upon Thames

28 March