Locals slam council for using 'concrete rehabilitation' to repair road

‘It looks unfinished!’ Residents’ fury as council removes tarmac on their street and leaves the road structure exposed as part of ‘concrete rehabilitation’ method which authorities say is ‘more environmentally friendly’

  • Council says the method is ‘financially economical and environmentally friendly’
  • Residents say it made the street ‘noisy,’ ‘uneven’ and is ‘bringing the road down’

Residents have slammed council workers for turning their street into an ‘appalling’ and ‘unfinished’ roadway as bosses are trialling a new resurfacing technique.

In a bid to cut costs, Kent County Council (KCC) utilised a method known as ‘concrete rehabilitation’ to tackle repairs on North Road in Dartford.

The technique involves pulling up the existing tarmac layer to expose the road structure. Workers then repair and seal the concrete, providing a road surface that the council says is suitable for traffic use.

But homeowners have claimed their street has been left looking like a ‘mosaic’, alleging it has made the street ‘noisy’, ‘uneven’ and is ‘bringing the road down’.

Residents have now set up a petition, which has amassed more than 170 signatures, calling on the local authority to replace the tarmac layer. 

Residents have slammed council workers for turning their street into an ‘appalling’ and ‘unfinished’ roadway as bosses are trialling a new resurfacing technique called ‘concrete rehabilitation’

North Road was closed by the council for resurfacing on May 30. The street is pictured before having undergone the concrete rehabilitation project

North Road was closed for resurfacing by KCC on May 30, but the majority of work was completed last week. 

James Smith, who has lived on North Road for 13 years, told KentOnline he was in ‘disbelief’ when he realised the repairs were finished.

‘I was angry. No one would say this is an improvement. It is a half done job done poorly,’ he said. ‘It is noisy, it is uneven, you feel it when you drive and it is the general aesthetic. It is bringing the road down.

‘The road before was not in that much of a bad condition. It was just normal, like every road. It could have been better but it did not need urgent repairs.’

Mr Smith, 44, added: ‘We just assumed it was going to be as per any other road. When they packed up last week I realised this was it. It is a hodgepodge of different materials.’

Another resident, who asked not to be named, compared the result to a ‘mosaic’.

She said: ‘It is like a mosaic. We are not very impressed. When they first did it I thought it was going to be good and thought ‘what have we done to deserve all this work’. Then we realised this was it.

‘It looks unfinished. We were expecting a little bit more for the amount of work that has gone into it.’

James Smith, 44, (pictured) who has lived on North Road for 13 years, said he was in ‘disbelief’ when he realised the repairs were finished, claiming it looks like a ‘half done job done poorly’

Concrete rehabilitation involves pulling up the existing tarmac layer to expose the road structure. Workers then repair and seal the concrete, providing a road surface that the council says is suitable for traffic use. North Road is pictured above after having been resurfaced

Now residents have launched a Change.org campaign in a bid to get the KCC to put in a new tarmac layer.

The petition argues that following the pavement work, North Road has been left ‘looking worse than before’.  

‘They have removed the previous layer of tarmac, repaired the cracks and then filled them with a buff coloured aggregate and resin mix and that’s it! The new ‘finish’ of the road is appalling!’ the campaign states.

Locals allege the reason for not adding a new layer of tarmac is ‘unknown’, but KCC says the move was part of an effort to trial the technique. 

Homeowners have also criticised the construction as appearing to be the ‘cheapest possible option available’, which they allege is ‘unacceptable’.

‘Considering the money that’s been spent on not only increasing amounts of council tax, but the hundreds of thousands of pounds that the home owners have invested in the properties of North Road, which has increased the kerb appeal and also house price value of the street, to be provided with this shocking level of workmanship is an absolute insult!’ the petition reads. 

‘It is completely unacceptable and as tax payers we should demand the road be left in a better finish than before works were started but also to a standard that is in keeping and compliments the street and the homeowners who have invested so much of their own money to improve the look of their homes.’

Despite calls for the road to be resurfaced again, Kent County Council is adamant the work is finished, alleging the concrete rehabilitation provided a ‘road surface suitable for traffic use’. North Road is pictured after the work was completed

But despite calls for the road to be resurfaced again, the local authority is adamant the work is finished.

A spokesman for KCC told MailOnline: ‘We have recently completed resurfacing work in North Road, Dartford, using a new method we are trialling called Concrete Rehabilitation.

‘This process involves removing the existing tarmac layer to expose the original concrete road structure. The concrete has been repaired and properly sealed, providing a road surface suitable for traffic use.

‘While we appreciate the considerable visual change, this method of road maintenance is more financially economical and environmentally friendly, which will allow us to maintain more residential concrete roads than otherwise would be the case.’

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