Yahoo News Resident protests 'desert island' Essex roundabout after £93,000 facelift
Tony Bland, 52, took a deckchair and parasol to the Albert Roundabout in Colchester to highlight what he said is its “beach-like” new look.
A fed-up Essex resident has set up a one-man protest on a roundabout near his home, which he says looks like a “desert island” following a £93,000 facelift.
Tony Bland, 52, took a deckchair and parasol to the Albert Roundabout in Colchester to highlight what he said is its “beach-like” new look.
The cost of the roundabout, which is covered with sand, was revealed through an FOI request by high steward of Colchester, Sir Bob Russell, as £93,334. The project was carried out by Beth Chatto Gardens, and funded by Essex County Council, Colchester Council, and rail operator Greater Anglia.
The aim was to improve the first impressions of visitors arriving by train with the topsoil replaced with sand to prevent weeds growing. But Bland slammed the council for the high cost of the facelift and said the roundabout had been compared to a “cat's litter tray”.
He said: “It was a perfectly serviceable roundabout and the money paid here to cover it in sand is exceptionally high. The rest of the area is still quite drab – it's like putting lipstick on something.”
Bland said there was a growing sense of annoyance amongst other locals over the cost of the facelift.
He added: “There is a sense of frustration and apathy with council activities like this which are being pushed onto people in the town and council taxpayers. Councillors also removed some very mature grasses established in the rusty planters near the roundabout.
“They pulled all those out and filled the boxes with sand and put new plants in. They really do look like litter trays.”
‘Hugely frustrating’
Bland said he was particularly annoyed as he is the founder of a campaign dedicated to fixing the 900-year-old Middle Mill Weir Bridge which collapsed last December nearby. He said it was “hugely frustrating” that the council have not allocated funds to the project, despite saying they have “no money”.
A spokesman for Colchester Council said the Albert Roundabout facelift had been ongoing for nearly nine years “with extensive public updates and involvement at every stage”.
They added: “These funds were specifically allocated for the Fixing the Link initiative and cannot legally or practically be redirected to other projects or services, such as park toilet maintenance or weir repairs.
“While the planting is currently in its early stages, its full impact will only become evident after a couple of summer growing seasons. It is too early to draw final conclusions about the roundabout’s overall aesthetic or ecological contributions.“
How much did councils spend on roads last year?
Local authorities face increasing pressure to balance their budgets with the growing demand for repairs on Britain’s roads. Potholes are a particular problem, with the cost of bringing pothole-plagued local roads in England and Wales up to scratch estimated at £16.3bn.
Across the UK, the government’s annual allocation for road spending has fluctuated over the years.
According to figures from Statista, public sector spending on local and national roads in the UK was over £12.1bn in the year 2023/24. This was a slight decrease when compared with the previous year. When breaking down the figures, there was also a slight decrease on the total spending for local roads, with just over £6m spent in the year 23/24 – slightly less than what was spent on national roads.
In October’s budget, chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that the government will aim to fund work to fix an additional one million potholes in the 2024/25 financial year by increasing local roads maintenance funding in England by £500m to nearly £1.6bn.
Adam Hug, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: “Many factors affect repair rates, from the type of road and traffic levels, to inflation and ongoing pressures from other council services.
“The extra £500m announced in the budget for local roads will help, although greater long-term investment is needed if we are to reduce the £16.3bn repair backlog.“
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