A FURIOUS councillor is calling for urgent action to repair a dangerous road which is an estate’s only connection to their village.

Residents on the Lowefields estate, off Tey Road in Earls Colne, have been left appalled after ten weeks of roadworks, which cuts them off from the rest of the village, began last week.

Developers are working to connect a new development next to the Lowefields estate to the village’s water and sewerage systems.

In the meantime, residents have been told they must head south down Tey Road and America Road in order to reach Earls Colne.

But the estate’s elderly residents say they are stranded due to the poor condition of the diversion.

They say Tey Road is littered with deep potholes while the track is only wide enough to let one vehicle pass.

Halstead county councillor Jo Beavis says the diversion is an “accident waiting to happen” and is calling for action from highways bosses.

She said: “I have called for urgent action from Essex County Council highways for repair works on the diversion route of America Road.

“It is quite frankly appalling that Essex Highways is neither listening to local residents or Earls Colne Parish Council.

“Tey Road remains open for courier vans. A system could be put in place at certain times of the day to give residents access and indeed over the Easter period.

“There is a nasty accident waiting to happen on the diversion route which is full of potholes and in areas flooded.

“Most of the road is one vehicle wide with occasional muddy pull-in areas.

“It is not good enough that Essex Highways expects residents to use this diversion for such a long period.”

Essex Highways has previously stated the diversion route is “the right one” and there is little to no other option for a diversion route.

However, some residents have argued the diversion could and should have been resurfaced and fixed prior to the work commencing.

Essex County Council previously said the roadworks were needed to install new pipes and equipment underground for the new development and there was no other available diversion route.

  • Jo Beavis is standing as an independent candidate in next month's county council elections. Other candidates for the Halstead division are Garry Warren (Labour) and Chris Siddall (Conservative).