Road repairs planned after reports of car damage

A major road which is said to have damaged drivers' cars following resurfacing work will be repaired this spring.

Work was completed on the A500 Shavington Bypass in Crewe last year, but the local MP said constituents had been in touch about damage to their vehicles with "disappointment and frustration over the quality of the finish".

Crewe and Nantwich MP Connor Naismith said the works, scheduled for mid-May, would be paid for by the contractor.

Cheshire East Council said an investigation was being carried out on the cause of the issues.

There were "no safety concerns" with the roads impacted, the authority added.

Cheshire East Council spent £1.44m on works for surface dressing on a number of roads last summer.

This included the Shavington Bypass, where nine miles of works were completed, with the road reopening in September.

Naismith said concerns had been raised by "numerous constituents", and that some drivers had reported damage to their paintwork and windscreens.

In a letter to the council shared on social media, the MP said it was "reassuring" that the works were taking place in the coming months and that the contractor was footing the bill.

"It is vital that residents see their money being spent wisely and I appreciate your efforts to ensure accountability in this regard," he said.

Mark Goldsmith, the chair of the council's highways and transport committee, said it had become aware of issues with surface dressing works on the A500 as well as the A34 in Wilmslow, the A49 Whitchurch Road, the A54 Buxton road and the A533 London Road in Sandbach.

He said about 11% of the roads receiving the treatment last year had been impacted by issues and "only a section" of the Shavington Bypass was affected.

He added that the works would be carried out at "no extra cost" to the council and it had been carrying out "regular monitoring" after being made aware of the issues.

"We are working with our contractor responsible for the works to understand the cause and a full and thorough investigation is being carried out," he said.

"There are no safety concerns with the roads, but we of course want to ensure the works are up to the standards we expect from a treatment of this type and are planning to carry out further improvement works when the weather is more suitable.

"We apologise for any inconvenience or concern caused and would like to reassure our residents that we are committed to managing the impact of these works and ensuring our roads are safe."

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