THAMES Valley’s Police and Crime Commissioner has issued a challenge local councils and housing developers to tackle the growing problems caused by ‘unadopted’ roads and housing estates.
Matthew Barber has lodged the issue over new housing developments, which in normal circumstances are built the local council become responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of things like roads, play areas, and street lighting.
However, he posits, in a growing number of cases, long legal battles between councils and developers cause “extensive” delays to the adoption of estates–leaving residents without the services they would expect.
He explains that this can impact police enforcement, particularly around issues of parking and road safety.
In response, the PCC is hosting a round-table discussion in Didcot on today (Wednesday May 13), aiming to bring together developers, local councils, and police officers to seek practical solutions to ensure that residents get the services they are paying for.
Matthew Barber said: “It is not acceptable that years after people move into their new homes, local councils are not providing the services that people are paying for through their council tax.
“Today is about seeking action for residents to unblock the delays which impact on parking, road safety, and concerns about local amenities.”
