VILLAGE roads in the Vale of Evesham are set to be improved this year under a £2million programme of works.

Jeff Romanis, Worcestershire County Council's head of transportation, said: "It is really good to see highway maintenance is beginning again to be able to offer Worcestershire the sort of service it deserves. With the help of RCS (the contractor) and continued local and political support, we are turning a corner."

He explained: "On the cards for this year is a £2million programme of treating carriageway edges on minor rural roads, an improvement to the inspection regime to deal with many more defects earlier and a variety of new methods to repair and strengthen roads.

"This includes a new technique called jetpatching, which is quicker and longer lasting and the machine is more easily manoeuvred, leading to fewer road closures. A new satellite system will keep track of all gullies visited and checked by the company, while the council has invested in new equipment as part of contingency plans for more severe winter conditions."

During 2001/2 RCS resurfaced more than 110 miles of road in the county, undertook a special initiative to keep 75,000 gullies cleaned to prevent flooding and brought in extra resources to tackle those with a history of needing extra maintenance.

Although the winter was relatively mild, RCS still used 5,800 tonnes of salt to keep roads free of ice and snow.

A 24-hour emergency response service is on standby in case of emergencies such as flooding, falling trees or road traffic accidents to clear the highway and restore it to a safe condition.

Peter Batts, RCS director, said: "The successful delivery of the highway maintenance service in Worcestershire depends on RCS and the county council working in partnership. We look forward to developing an ever closer working relationship which will ultimately benefit the public."