Preston and South Ribble roundabouts at Docks and London Way set for repairs

The roundabout at Chain Caul Way is listed for road repairs Pic: Google

Three roundabouts across Preston and South Ribble look set for a revamp as part of two dozen roundabouts across the county being repainted and repaired.

In Preston the roundabout at the far end of the Docks at Chain Caul Way and Nelson Way – near a number of car dealerships – will be the focus.

Two roundabouts in South Ribble, the A6 in Lostock Hall at the London Way and Brownedge Road will see repairs along with the Sir Frederick Page Way roundabout.

A total of £155,000 is being spent across the 21 roundabouts in the county due to receive attention from Lancashire County Council.

A further £375,000 is then due to be used for more substantial repairs to roundabouts in Lancashire.

County Cllr Scott Smith, lead member for highways on the authority, said that the projects would involve taking a “targeted approach to sections of roundabouts” to stave off potential problems.

A report presented to the cabinet meeting at which the plans were approved stated that a number of Lancashire’s roundabouts had been found to be “at the optimum time” for measures like joint sealing.

Members were told that the proposed approach would be more cost effective than waiting for the surfaces to deteriorate, because the life of the roundabouts would be extended and the cost of future repairs reduced.

In recent years, County Hall has relied on so-called “surface dressing” as its main method of preventing road surfaces from degrading, but that technique – based on both improving the surface and sealing it to prevent future water damage – is not deemed suitable for roundabouts.

The remaining £375,000 of the available budget will be used for what County Cllr Smith described as “more comprehensive”, full resurfacing schemes. Those projects – details of which will be brought forward later in the year – will focus on roundabouts that have already witnessed an increase in the need for regular repairs.

Labour opposition group leader Azhar Ali welcomed the investment, but wanted “a priority” made of bringing marked roundabouts that have “faded away” back up to scratch.

“Normally in the summer holidays, a lot of them are repainted, but I can give you a list …[where] it’s actually dangerous because the markings have completely gone,” said County Cllr Ali, who was speaking specifically about the Pendle district.

County Cllr Smith said that he would investigate any individual examples of faded markings and encouraged members of the public with similar concerns in any part of Lancashire to use the Love Clean Streets App to report the problem.

The £530,000 cash injection into roundabout maintenance has come from an additional £5.1m in highways cash handed to Lancashire County Council by the government after the Spring budget.

If the preventative work costs more than expected, the investment in full resurfacing schemes will be correspondingly reduced.