Cuts of more than half a million pounds have been lined up for road resurfacing in Caerphilly County Borough Council’s draft budget proposals.
The council has outlined a proposal to cut the budget for resurfacing by £514,000 in the draft budget proposals for 2020-21.
This would be a 55% decrease on the current budget allocation of £938,000.
A report outlining the proposal says it could be achieved by reducing the amount of work that takes place on surface preservation and resurfacing of carriageways throughout the county borough.
The report says: “The highway is the authority’s biggest asset, valued at over £2 billion.
“It is already recognised that the maintenance budget is underfunded and any further reduction in carriageway maintenance budgets will result in a deterioration within the asset that will be very costly and onerous to repair in the future.”
The report also says that a reduction in the resurfacing budget would increase demand and resources on the budget for potholes.
The council has a statutory duty to maintain the highway in a safe condition for road users.
The report says that a further detailed options report is being prepared and highlights the proposal as potentially having a significant impact on the public.
However, the council say they will continue to lobby the government for more funding.
This comes as the council announced its draft budget proposals last month, which included cuts of more than £8 million. It is currently undergoing a consultation process with the public and staff.
The council’s environment and sustainability scrutiny committee will consider this proposal today (Tuesday, December 10) along with the draft budget proposals for 2020-21.