After two and a half years of lobbying the highways officers and the relevant cabinet member at county hall, Labour Oxfordshire County Councillor Mark Cherry is pleased to report that much-needed road maintenance and kerb repairs have been agreed on The Fairway in Banbury, between the Prescott Avenue and Mold Crescent junctions. The work will start on 3rd August and last for 10 days.

Councillor Cherry appealed to everyone with a vehicle parked on The Fairway to move it to an alternative location while the works are ongoing, so that the crucial maintenance can be completed without delays.

While these repairs are very welcome (and long overdue), road maintenance across Oxfordshire is likely to fall further behind in the coming months.  The county council is currently facing a £64.6 million funding gap due to loss of revenue and increased service outgoings during the coronavirus outbreak.  The government had previously indicated that councils could expect the government to fully cover budgetary shortfalls, but is now only offering to meet some of the costs and loss of income, leaving many local authorities facing the prospect of severe service cuts and even bankruptcy.