ROAD CHIEFS, who this week agreed to resurface pothole-ravaged roads in Borehamwood, have been accused of making the decision “much too late”.

Plans to resurface roads include Cowley Hill, Furzehill Road and Theobald Street were announced by Hertfordshire County Council on Monday.

However, Borehamwood resident Damian Schogger, 33, who started the Facebook campaign called Hertfordshire Pothole Hell, has criticized the council for being slow to act over the crumbling road surfaces.

The decision also followed a Hertfordshire County Travel Survey, which this week revealed drivers believed maintaining existing roads should be a high priority for the council.

Damian Schogger, 33, from Borehamwood, protested against the rising number of potholes being left unrepaired through a Facebook campaign last month.

Mr Schogger, a communications manager, said: “Although overall I am pleased the council has finally made this decision, it is much too late. Goodness knows how much damage has been caused to vehicles.

“The patching service along the roads in Borehamwood seems to have been a waste of time, effort and money, as it has not helped much at all.

“I’m pleased that the Facebook page has helped to become a forum for people to discuss their views.

“I will give the council the benefit of the doubt with the severity of the weather earlier this year but the proof will be in the pudding to see whether the council will deal with this efficiently.”

Shop owner Mick Churchill has complained that Drayton Road has not been included in the list of roads to be resurfaced.

He said: "Drayton Road is terrible for potholes and should be included.

"There should be a rolling programme to resurface all roads in the area."

County Councillor Alan Plancey (Con, Borehamwood North), said: “The council is trying to do their very best with this situation and has identified the problems. I trust the plans will get everything back to normal as soon as possible.

“I am a driver myself so I can understand the problems but the severe weather has played a major role in harming the roads this year.”

Rob Smith, assistant director for transport management at Hertfordshire County Council, said the number of potholes has declined in the last month.

He said: "Following unprecedented damage to the county's roads this winter, we have carried out extensive surveys and included the sites most in need of repair in our works programme for the next year.

"We appreciate how important road maintenance is to residents and we've been working hard to repair hazardous defects caused by the cold weather.

“The number of potholes being reported has declined in the last month, which is encouraging news. The next step is to start making permanent repairs to the roads that have suffered extensive damage during the winter."

Referring to the findings from the Hertfordshire County Travel Survey, Mr Smith added: "With over a million people living in and travelling around the county, with the majority using the roads, it comes as no surprise to us that maintenance of our heavily-used roads is a top priority for residents.

“We will continue to invest in improving the roads, as well as promoting sustainable travel."