Highways chief says average resurfacing cycle for roads is 103 years!
05/11/2025
Residents in Horsham Close say their road hasn’t been resurfaced in four decades
Oxfordshire’s Highways Chief quoted an average resurfacing cycle of 103 years when asked by a local councillor about resurfacing a Banbury road.
Councillor Andrew Crichton represents Banbury Hardwick. He is calling on Oxfordshire County Council to resurface Horsham Close, which residents say hasn’t been resurfaced since it was built in 1983.
The matter was raised with the council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Andrew Gant, at a meeting on Tuesday.
Councillor Crichton highlighted a resident’s claim that the road had remained untouched for more than four decades.
But Councillor Gant didn’t commit to resurfacing Horsham Close. In a written response he said: “Our policy is to take a risk-based approach. This considers the need for safety through inspections and repairs, alongside preventative measures such as large-scale resurfacing and surface treatments.
“This is not just an issue for Oxfordshire, but a national one, the latest ALARM survey shows that the average resurfacing cycle for all types of roads in England is every 103 years.”
Speaking after the meeting Councillor Crichton wasn’t impressed. He said: “I didn’t expect this kind of response from the Cabinet Member for Transport. The figures quoted will include lots of barely used roads that have a very limited amount of traffic. Horsham Close and nearby roads are regularly used by local residents and should rightly be resurfaced more regularly.
“I thought this would be uncontroversial, but clearly the Lib Dem leadership at Oxfordshire think that 42 years isn’t long enough to merit resurfacing. I will continue to push for improvements to the roads in the area.”
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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