Herefordshire villagers livid at repairs to road 'no one uses'

Villagers in Deerfold said the cost of repairs would be better spent elsewhere

Villagers say they are "livid" after council resurfacing work on a "barely-used" road.

Residents branded the repair job on the lane in Deerfold, near Lingen, north Herefordshire, "a waste of money".

They say work started on a section leading only to a property thought to have been empty for more than 10 years, although it is being refurbished.

Herefordshire Council said it was committed to ensuring all of the county's roads were well maintained.

Russell Davis said he was "livid" that the work had been carried out

Resident Russell Davis said the lane was generally in good condition apart from a 200-metre section leading up the house, and workers did a "good job" repairing it.

But he said he was staggered when workers returned to do more, resurfacing about a third of a mile.

"It didn't need doing, it's just unbelievable," he explained.

"I'm livid about it. That was as good a road as anywhere else."

He added: "I don't know how much this cost. I reckon it's got to be 50 to £60,000 and it's just a complete and utter waste."

The lane leads to a house which has been unoccupied for years

Mr Davis's disdain was echoed by fellow villager Phil Barnett who said the money should have been spent repairing roads that were more widely used.

"You'll soon find a patch of road that needs doing," he said. "Those roads would have greatly benefitted from this work.

"It's a ridiculous waste of money."

The council did not comment on the cost of the resurfacing.

In a statement, it said: "These recent repair works were carried out in addition to our annual programme of highways improvements to allow us to re-open the road and provide access to the local residence which, although currently unoccupied, is undergoing renovation."