Residents angry over road conditions in Weston, Southampton

From Kingsclere Avenue to Wallace Road, Weston locals have branded the roads "horrendous and dangerous" due to the poor conditions of the carriageways, which is even causing damage to vehicles.

Potholes, cracks and uneven surfaces litter the area making journeys through the estate difficult for motorists.

An area councillor has also made calls for more to be done to repair the road surface, adding that "the situation simply isn't good enough".

But now, Southampton City Council has said that £10 million is to be spend on the improvement of local roads and pavements.

Meg Stickland is a resident of the estate, and she says her partner is "constantly" having to pay for new tyres on his van due to the "terrible roads".

Meg, who has lived in the area for more than 20 years, said this was "the worst state she has ever seen the roads".

She added: "It's like being on the surface of the moon.

"The roads are dangerous to everyone in the area, whether your walking on the pavement, cross the road, driving down them or on a bus.

"The Council can spend money on putting bike lanes in and taking them out, painting benches in the city centre, but they don't help the local communities.

"Tax has gone up and we don't see any improvements.

"You can speak to the council, the MP, the councillors but no one will listen."

Cllr Warwick Payne, who represents Weston, said: “I’ve been making repeated calls for Wallace Road and Kingsclere Avenue to be resurfaced. The current situation simply isn’t good enough.

“I’ve lost count of how many potholes I’ve reported and I believe that Weston deserves better. As a result, I have drawn the matter to the attention of the Council Leader and Chief Executive, as I believe the issue is vitally important and must be addressed as a priority.”

MP for Southampton Itchen Royston Smith said: "I am aware of the poor road conditions in Weston and have reported them to the previous Labour Council on more than one occasion.

"I am therefore delighted that the new Conservative Administration has allocated additional funds to deal with the worst of the neglected roads and Weston is one area set to benefit. In my opinion it is not before time.”

Councillor Jeremy Moulton, Deputy Leader of Southampton City Council and Cabinet Member for Growth, said: “We appreciate the views and experiences of residents when it comes to road maintenance and have a multi-million-pound highways capital programme in place to support improvements.

"Just last week, we announced £10 million will be spent on improvements to local roads and pavements over the next two years (in addition to £6 million we spend annually), while a further £830,000 will help to establish several dedicated pothole repair crews across the city."