Merton Roads Worst in London Four in Ten Streets are in Poor Condition

Merton’s roads are in bad shape. Reportedly, they are the worst in London now. A local MP says four in ten roads are poor. This is for smaller, “unclassified” roads. Last year, only 23% were called poor.

Paul Kohler is an MP for Wimbledon. He claims roads are a top concern for locals. He thinks the council needs to fix them and wants them to spend money to repair potholes fast.

The Lib Dems analyzed road data, stating poor roads have doubled this year. Merton has the most poor roads in London. The council, however, disagrees with the data, saying main roads are actually above average.

The government funds roads, but the Lib Dems think it’s short-term, not needs-based. As a result, Merton might lose out to other areas since they think those other areas have better roads.

Kohler says all councils face economic issues, but asks why Merton’s roads are so bad. He urges the council to fix the roads and wants it to be their main priority.

Kohler spoke about roads in Parliament and criticized the Labour-run Merton Council then. Residents feel roads are dangerous daily and see problems every day.

Cyclist Sean Reed spoke about London Road. He stated that potholes nearly made him crash his bike. He also shared that Mill Green road shakes cars badly. Driving there is a problem, it seems.

Residents on Commonside East had to pay for car repairs because the road was in very poor condition. The road owners won’t fix it themselves, they say. The council will only fix it after it’s repaired.

Barnscroft road is also in poor condition and cars get damaged often there, people report. Dealing with the council feels impossible; it seems like talking to a wall.

Cherelle Mercado mentioned potholes on Western Road. She says it has been bad for months now and she uses the council’s “Fix My Street” app, but the problem remains unsolved.

Matthew Willis is a Lib Dem councillor. He says residents report issues on the app. He also states that the council often doesn’t act and that Beverley Way is another problematic area.

The council disputes Kohler’s data. They say not all councils share data. They insist their main roads are London average. They did not discuss the smaller roads.

The council claims their data is inaccurate. They state that Transport for London said their roads were above average, and that Residents didn’t complain about roads, they reported.

The council spends millions on roads. They want to limit roadwork disruptions and plan for utility companies to eventually pay fees for digging up roads. The goal is to curb road problems.

Merton repaired over 1,100 potholes last year and nearly all repairs were on time, they reported. Other London areas fixed far more potholes, so Data comparison is difficult.

Heidi Alexander will meet with Kohler to discuss Merton’s roads. She promised that funding will help, and that They will have further talks, they planned.