For Suffolk County Council to develop an in-house bid for Suffolk Highways maintenance

Comments

#1

County highways funding is increasingly limited: every penny needs to be spent on
maintenance rather than given to shareholders

Caroline Page (Woodbridge, 2022-05-05)

#2

SCC need to create an in-house bid to make sure we get the best value for money.

James Sheridan (Ipswich, 2022-05-05)

#3

I know how expensive and inefficient the current system is.

Simon Harley (Ipswich, 2022-05-05)

#4

We are currently using taxpayers money to pay a private company Kier to do every single safety improvement vital for our residents wellbeing. A big chunk of this taxpayers' money will go to Kier shareholders and Kier executive bonuses. We should at least find out what it would cost for the council to do the work in house.

Robert Lindsay (Ipswich, 2022-05-05)

#10

Private companies are an outrageous rip-off.

John Wood (Halesworth, 2022-05-05)

#12

I'm signing because the costs are unbelievably high

Liz Wooster (Halesworth, 2022-05-05)

#24

I think our current system has not been working.

Patrick Gillard (Woodbridge, 2022-05-05)

#26

it makes no sense to ask for tenders without an in house estimate to compare them with to prove value for money.

Ian Cockburn (Halesworth, 2022-05-05)

#29

Initial costs maybe be high to set this up but In house prices can cost much less & standards can be controlled by the council.

Linda Owen (Halesworth, 2022-05-06)

#31

We need a highway maintenance service that responds faster to reports of potholes and damaged passing places and footpath signage

Julian Cusack (Saxmundham, 2022-05-06)

#35

I’m signing because the council should provide this service anyway.

Gary Lindsay (Halesworth, 2022-05-06)

#40

the roads are not good enough and the council is paying too much to private companies for shoddy work.

Lee Reeves (Felixstowe, 2022-05-06)

#41

I am shocked at the prices. It explains why it is so difficult to get things done. It makes you wonder who is behind the contractor?

brian may (holton, 2022-05-06)

#42

A bid from the Council's staff should be worked up to compare with the commercial bids. In this case no shareholders need to be paid so our bid could be cheaper

Andrew Mellen (Stowmarket, 2022-05-06)

#48

The current Highways contract rips off the taxpayer. For example whereas a metre length of cycle path costs around £200 in other counties SCC get charged £600.
The costs of light controlled crossings are a quarter of a million pounds in SCC you could get two or three for same costs elsewhere.

Tim Regester (Sudbury, 2022-05-06)

#50

The less work the contractor can get away with the higher their profit. At least cost up the job in house so that there is a benchmark.

Martin James (Sutton Heath, 2022-05-06)

#54

I would like to see the council maintain the highways ‘in-house’ and not waste vast amounts of tax payers money

Jacquie Piper (Halesworth, 2022-05-06)

#55

The state of the roads around Newmarket where I live is atrocious

Crissall Lisa (Newmarket, 2022-05-06)

#56

I want to see the County Council get the best value for services

Adrienne Marriott (Ipswich, 2022-05-06)

#58

I'm signing because the roads around Suffolk, not just Newmarket, are becoming not fit for purpose in places. It's obvious every time you cross a county line, whether into Cambridgeshire, Norfolk or Essex, just how poor Suffolk's roads are becoming. In some places downright dangerous for more susceptible road users (bicycles & motorbikes in particular)

Peter Miles (Newmarket, 2022-05-06)

#60

I'm fed up with maintenance of things that need to be done being refused stopping active travel from being encouraged.

Shaun McDonald (Ipswich, 2022-05-06)

#61

We need to have direct responsibility to get our roads safe

Penny Otton (Bury St. Edmunds, 2022-05-06)

#62

Because I’m sick of us getting over charged for these maintenance contract, these companies take the piss, same with my housing association we pay a fortune for the work and we pay a huge service charge unfair

Spencer Dunn (Ipswich, 2022-05-06)

#63

Council services should be provided as a nonprofit function - private enterprise profit is public money wasted, equally poorly run council services should not be tolerated - flexible, realistic value for money should drive work placement

Keith Dennis (Halesworth, 2022-05-06)

#64

It won't just save money, it will improve the quality of work. The county's contractors do an absolutely awful job virtually every time they perform any works.

Tony Green (Ipswich, 2022-05-06)

#67

Our roads are disgrace. We need & deserve better. Get rid of Kier, they are only looking after themselves at the expense of the road users of Suffolk.

Brigid Barber (Woodbridge, 2022-05-06)

#69

The current situation is intolerable; the state of the roads are potentially lethal for motorcyclists. Outsourcing has failed to deliver either quality or value and should be abandoned.

Gregor Purdie (Haverhill, 2022-05-06)

#71

Public money should be spent for the benefit of the public not shareholders

Julia Wakelam (Bury St Edmunds, 2022-05-06)

#73

Because this outrageous outsourcing inefficiency has to stop.

Michael Herbage (Halesworth, 2022-05-07)

#74

Roads in Suffolk are in a disgusting state. Poor maintenance is obvious with potholes, poorly maintained signage, many not visible, flooding, litter due to unswept roads.

Kenneth Coulling (Elmswell, 2022-05-07)

#76

A cyclist who would like an across Ipswich raised and dedicated cycle lane to promote safe and enjoyable cycling for commuting, work and leisure. Obviously this requires a level of 'Civil Engineering' that should be open to public engagement, and appraisal.

Gavin Murrell (IPSWICH, 2022-05-07)

#78

I am sick and tired of reading about the squandering of my money on ridiculously over-costed projects and private contracts. Government and Local Government should deliver value to those who actually pay the bill - taxpayers!

Lesley Galpin (Sudbury, 2022-05-07)

#79

I believe we should have best value for our council tax and outsourcing has time and time again been more expensive with less control.

Ramon Studd (Stowmarket, 2022-05-07)

#81

The roads locally are so bad. Kier are insanely expensive. Makes sense to take steps to save money and improve the service😎

Jane Scott (Ipswich, 2022-05-07)

#89

Public money should always be spent wisely

Anne Smith (Halesworth, 2022-05-07)

#91

Road work management is dreadful. They appear without warning, roads are closed for days with no work taking pace and crucially roads are completely closed when contraflows should be utilised

Ian Stevens (Shotley, 2022-05-07)

#92

The state of our roads is appalling and has been for all the 7 years we have lived in Great Barton. Something needs to be done and the current arrangements are a complete failure. Driving out of the county you notice the better kept roads elsewhere.

Ann Bowen (Great Barton, 2022-05-07)

#93

The costs outlined in the article are extortionate. This is another of inadequate scrutiny before contracts were granted by Suffolk County Council. This service should now be brought back in-house despite the initial investment in machinery. In the long-term this would prove more cost-effective.

Michael Spencer (Stowmarket, 2022-05-07)

#99

It is no surprise that we have been suffering from potholes in our roads for all these years and that costs for any simple maintenance became unaffordable…get rid of Kier and place the control back with Suffolk County Council so that costs can be more affordable. Where I live in Suffolk on a hill where dogs are walked people live, children ride their bikes…horses are also ridden & potholes are a real danger. We had a huge one near the bottom of the hill…amongst all the rest…the workmen for the council said it would just be a patch up job and we watch the patched up pothole as the water from the hill was pushing through the repaired pothole again within days. Now we know why and why the members on the Suffolk County Council were so frustrated and it was because Kier had won the contract for 10 years since 2013! This is totally nonsensical and put back in the hands of Suffolk County Council once again. To do anything else is madness!!!

Kate Lasky (Bury St Edmunds, 2022-05-07)

#101

Roads are becoming more dangerous as hedges are not being trimmed back sufficiently along country roads to they are becoming thicker thus encroaching onto the side of the highway, edges of roads are being eroded forming a drop off, potholes are patched rather than mended properly so need attention again sooner creating more work and therefore expense. All this impacts on the road user (whether motorist or cyclist) and potentially leads to accidents and damage.

Alison Parish (Woodbridge, 2022-05-07)

#105

Local councils should have far more power to do this kind of thing

Darren Turner (Bury st Edmunds, 2022-05-07)

#106

Too much time and money is wasted by contractors

Derek Davis (Shotley Gate, 2022-05-07)

#109

It surely can’t be any more disjointed than it is now.

Paul Armbruster (Felixstowe, 2022-05-07)

#112

This always used to work, why not now? I think some of these people opt for an easy working life.

Keith Burroughs (Bury St. Edmunds, 2022-05-07)

#115

They need to listen to the residents of the town who know how the situation is in their road

evelyn brown (Felixstowe, 2022-05-07)

#117

The roads in Felixstowe are on very poor condition. High Road is a complete disgrace. Time to repair/resurface roads is overdue by years.

Peter Beeson (Felixstowe, 2022-05-07)

#118

the contract with Kier is dreadfull,they just do not care they tared and stoned a local road near us 18 months ago and it is as bad as it was before. WASTE OF MONEY.

john.s marjoram (Bury St. Edmunds, 2022-05-07)

#119

I approve of Roads being properly maintained but roads on the Shirley Peninsula are too frequently closed for repair without adequate notice of adequate alternatives. Also the whole road is closed where partial closure with lights would be a viable alternative.

Robin Steggles (Holbrook, 2022-05-07)

#120

I'm signing because the maintenance of the road system in Suffolk is chaotic and of a poor standard.
Clearly there is little control around the third party contract.

Steve Butcher (East Bergholt, 2022-05-07)

#125

How can you warrant paying that sort of money?
Stop outsourcing!
I definitely agree it’s About time our council took back control of highway maintenance

Sue Brace MBE (Felixstowe, 2022-05-07)

#127

Suffolk residents deserve a more cost-effective service

Sarah Plummer (Beccles, 2022-05-07)

#130

The in-house option may or may not be the way forward, however what is needed is carefully specified standards of work to ensure value for money and proper measuring/checking that standards have been met before payment. In addition any contractor in-house or otherwise should be under an obligation to correct unsatisfactory work without further payment.

Maurice Parish (Woodbridge, 2022-05-07)

#134

Current road system is a mess

Roy Merry (Ipswich, 2022-05-07)

#135

The very poor state of the public highway within Suffolk and Ipswich. Cost saving maintenance works not undertaken due to budget constraints and interface between council and contractors very ineffective.

John Cutting (Ipswich, 2022-05-07)

#136

I strongly believe that the outsourcing/privatisation crisis of the last 40 years has destroyed the infrastructure of the country while only benefitting private companies. It is an attack on the point of government, which should be to provide communal services for the benefit of the community.

Any move towards public bodies taking responsibility and being held to account for public services is a good thing.

Shaun Clark (Sudbury, 2022-05-07)

#142

I’m signing because it makes economic and social sense

Diane Green (Beccles, 2022-05-07)

#143

I am disgusted by current arrangements; local roads need complete resufacing. Pot hole filling is of poor quality so that they get paid again to fill and they ignore nearby potholes which have developed since the original report which takes too long to implement. The cost of changes to current road layout stop the County Council from improving situations. CIL money is wasted on these inflated prices which could be better spent elsewhere. By ruling out in-house, the Council has a gun to its head every time the contract is up for consideration.

christine marsh (kesgrave, 2022-05-07)

#144

For too long we have had pot holes filled and about ten meters away on the same road another one was left as it wasn't marked.

Patrick Hanlon (Haverhill, 2022-05-07)

#155

I’m signing because of the ridiculous state of our roads and by the ridiculous rip off effects of being awarded a council contract.

Bernice Adams (Wenhaston, 2022-05-08)

#156

In Bedford we have had dipped kerbs installed for as little as £510.59 (or £533.01 with tactile paving) for a pair, by the in-house team.
Why pay an outsourcing company 9 times as much?

Ben Foley (Bedford, 2022-05-08)

#157

I want my council tax put to good use rather than being wasted on money-grabbing companies. Let's utilise the many skills we have within the Council to provide real benchmark figures for the works.

Andrew Mills (Brantham, 2022-05-08)

#158

As a rate payer and elector in Suffolk I want to be sure that our highways are maintained as efficiently and economically as possible. The current situation is a travesty

Andrew Eastaugh (Beccles, 2022-05-08)

#160

I would like SCC to have greater control over costs of work done. I have been quoted £1000's for works which actually took £100's and it has taken 15 months and counting to replace a couple of feet of handrail at Puddingmoor, Church steps. Totally unacceptable

Caroline Topping (Beccles, 2022-05-08)

#161

The County Council is big enough to complete many jobs in-house, with the ability to contract out those maintenance projects which are outside their capability.

Paul Whitlow (Holton, 2022-05-08)

#163

As a Suffolk resident we should get best value for money for the way the budgets are spent on our highways.

Deborah Blowers (Beccles, 2022-05-08)

#164

I'm signing because...it makes complete sense! Keep spending withing council control and use the savings to push through more, much needed, maintenance.

Adrian Palmer (Beccles, 2022-05-08)

#165

I'm signing because so much public money ends up being wasted on expensive contracts that are not fit for purpose and appear to only serve to make individuals more wealthy than actually serve the needs of the community

Coxon Jonathan (Lowestoft, 2022-05-08)

#168

It is important to get value for money. It is essential that public money is not wasted. Suffolk County Council should take control of highway maintenance and not allow outsourcing companies to exploit our county.

Fiona Anderson (Beccles, 2022-05-08)

#171

People deserve the best value for money without being ripped off.

Jessie Carter (Suffolk, 2022-05-08)

#172

I agree entirely with the purpose of the petition - public services can and should be provided in-house by the public sector and not contracted out to profit making companies.

Gavin Moulton (Sudbury Suffolk, 2022-05-08)

#174

It's pretty obvious why I'm signing.

Jennifer Vuglar (wrentham, 2022-05-08)

#179

Public services and people should be put before profit. We need to take back control of these.

Kerri Victoria (Lowestoft, 2022-05-08)

#183

The County Council could save a great deal of money by keeping the the highways work 'in County'.

Phillip Smith (Beccles, 2022-05-08)

#185

It’s logical to bring this service back under full council control the changes Keir set are very high and more than I pay for repairs to my own estate. Also Keir use many contractors which Suffolk could use first hand so there’s a lot of percentages being taken

Therefore I think this is a waste of taxpayer money and not in the interest of the residents of Suffolk

Frank Stennett (Bury St Edmunds, 2022-05-08)

#187

I seek transparency in the contracts won. They should be compared with a fully costed in-house bid.

Chris Hart (Halesworth, 2022-05-08)

#189

Private enterprise has failed

Norman Castleton (Not Hispanic or Latino, 2022-05-08)

#193

A failure to enter a fully costed council bid leaves us exposed to the commercial machinations disguised as open competition.

David Lambourn (Bungay, 2022-05-08)

#195

Those prices are extortionate. £10,000 to design road humps which are already in existence!! £7,500 to take down a tree. You could get a forest taken down for that!!

Michaela Spooner (Newmarket, 2022-05-08)

#196

I live in suffolk and agree that the council should not be so lazy

Henrietta Palmer (Leiston, 2022-05-08)

#199

SCC needs to take proper responsibility for how they use the money we pay. Rather than paying big business profits, the council ought to be looking at the most cost effective way to spend our rates. It should not being going into directors pockets

Julie Martin (Lowestoft, 2022-05-08)

#200

makes absolute sense !

mandy walden (Suffolk, 2022-05-08)



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