From December 1, 2004

A backlog of road maintenance work gave politicians another excuse for a slanging match 10 years ago.

The backlog would cost millions to rectify, according to a report by the Audit Commission, which rated Kingston’s transport with just one star out of three.

Opposition councillors blamed the Liberal Democrats for letting standards slip – assessments a year earlier showed 15 per cent of the borough’s main roads, and nearly a fifth of unclassified roads, needed repair, figures well above the London average.

But the administration said the figures were out of date and did not account for unprecedented levels of funding for road repairs introduced in the 2004 budget.

The council planned to spend £6m on resurfacing roads and repairing pavements, and £1.5m on street lighting, in three years.

Executive member for transport, Councillor Patricia Bamford, said: “When 45 per cent of our residents say repairing roads and pavements should be out first priority, we act.

“We are channelling unprecedented amounts of money into Kingston’s roads, pavements and street lights. The £7.5m is on top of the planned maintenance budget.”

Transport and infrastructure committee chairman, Coun David Cunningham, said: “There needs to be increased funding for our roads and the Conservatives will hold the administration to allocating these funds as it has promised.

“When, in the past, there has been insufficient central funding, we instigated the innovative hotbox scheme that has now been abandoned by the Lib Dems.

A Lib Dem spokesman said: “We can’t keep patching indefinitely so, as roads are resurfaced, the amount of money being spent on hot boxing will be reduced because there are fewer holes.”

Kingston Council was responsible for maintaining 230 miles of road and 25 miles of urban and public rights of way.

50 YEARS AGO

 November 28, 1964

The Yardbirds made a personal appearance at the Rhymes and Rhythms record shop in Fife Road, Kingston, this week 50 years ago.

The group was in town to sign 200 copies of the LP Five Live Yardbirds.

The autographed sleeves were quickly snapped up.

25 YEARS AGO

December 1, 1989

More than 10,000 people vanished from public record in Kingston as council officers compiled provisional electoral figures. Labour Councillor Steve Mama said the gap was “huge” while Eddy Digman, Kingston’s electorial registration boss, said several thousand people “failed to register”.

10 YEARS AGO

December 1, 2004

The Surrey Comet starred in the annual conference of the British Records Association.

Dr David Robinson, former county archivist of Surrey, spoke on the importance of the Comet as a source of Victorian history. He said it was appropriate to give the paper extra publicity in its 150th year.