Hertfordshire councillor says all new roads must be built to ‘adoptable’ standards
Leading Hertfordshire councillor Paul Zukowskyj has called on the Government to require roads on all new housing developments to be built to “adoptable” standards.
Adopted public roads are cleaned and maintained by the county council, and they make up the vast majority of roads across the county.
But in order to be adopted, roads on any new development need to meet particular design and construction standards.
Where developers do not meet those requirements, roads can remain unadopted.
In practical terms, councillors say that can lead to residents facing barriers when it comes to issues around maintenance and fly-tipping.
Cllr Beth Kelly (Labour, Hatfield North) raised the issue in a motion presented to the latest meeting of the county council’s environment, transport and growth cabinet panel on October 22.
In the motion, she highlighted the Salisbury Village development, in Hatfield, where she said some roads have remained unadopted by the county council for more than 20 years.
She pointed to persistent issues relating to unadopted status such as fly-tipping, poor lighting maintenance, anti-social behaviour and lack of clarity over maintenance and enforcement.
At the meeting councillors heard that there is no requirement for developers to submit the details required for the adoption of roads before any planning permission is granted.
Across the county there are said to be around 99 roads that are “yet to be adopted” by the county council.
During the debate, it emerged that Cllr Zukowskyj had already written to the Secretary of State to call for a common planning requirement nationally.
That requirement, according to the letter, would require all streets on new housing developments to be constructed to adoptable standards.
It says developers should be able to demonstrate that they have built to appropriate standards by publishing accessible records, such as progress photographs on their website.
In addition the letter suggests that where the developer does not intend to seek adoption, there should be clear stewardship plans developed and published.
These changes, it says, would give greater transparency, enabling residents to hold the developer or the managing company to account.
During the meeting, Cllr Zukowskyj (Liberal Democrat, Hatfield South) said that the cost to the council of adopting the unadopted roads - which do not meet adoptable standards - had been estimated to be £1.2 billion.
Addressing the example of developments like Salisbury Village, he said: “The reason that those haven’t been adopted is not because Hertfordshire County Council have been messing around and twiddling our thumbs.
“It’s because the developer won’t do what the developer is supposed to do.
“And the reason the developer is able to not do what the developer needs to do is because the legislation isn’t there for us to compel them. It’s as simple as that.”
After highlighting the “national problem” and the letter that had been sent to the Secretary of State, he said: “Nationally we need different legislation, primary legislation, to turn the dial on this.
“And to say to developers, ‘no, actually, when you build a road you should be building it to adoptable standards.
“’Even if you have no intention of it being adopted, it should be to adoptable standards. And if it is not, you have got to come up with a damn good reason why not’.”
He suggested that currently, developers were taking money out of developments and “walking away with a nice fat profit and leaving the residents with a problem” before adding: “Actually we need to stop that. And the way to do that, I think, is with primary legislation.”
Following the debate, councillors backed recommendations to amend the county council’s website to focus more on information for residents who wish to explore how to get their own streets adopted.
It also recommended that in adopting roads, council officers would exercise “professional judgement” - weighing the balance of additional maintenance liabilities with the benefits of road adoption.