Resurfacing work to tackle a road riddled with potholes have been delayed until next year.

Water Lane that links Bushey and Watford and is a well-known alternative route to Bushey Arches have been dubbed as “pothole alley” by residents, according to Liberal Democrat councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst.

He has slammed Hertfordshire County Council’s (HCC) decision to resurface the road next year as he claims it was supposed to be carried out this year.

Watford Observer: Cllr Giles-Medhurst said he has reported six potholes in the last week. Cllr Giles-Medhurst said he has reported six potholes in the last week. (Image: Cllr Giles-Medhurst)

He said: “Disappointment is understatement, the road is in a dreadful mess and I am getting regular complaints from both Bushey and Watford residents about it.

“It has traffic humps to slow traffic down but every one of these has potholes and the entrance to the Premier Inn here is dangerous with lose stones. Only this week I reported six dangerous holes.”

HCC said the intention was to carry out “targeted maintenance work” on the road this year, but it was decided that the entire road should be resurfaced, which will be done next year.

Watford Observer: Cllr Giles-Medhurst wanted the work to be carried out this year.Cllr Giles-Medhurst wanted the work to be carried out this year. (Image: Cllr Giles-Medhurst)

They added that some “limited” work will be carried out this year to keep the road safe and serviceable “and we will continue to inspect the road on a regular basis and fix any potentially hazardous defects as necessary”.

Cllr Giles-Medhurst added: “This road is a good, safer route to cycle to and from Bushey avoiding the Arches, but cyclists are rightly put off by how bad it is.

“I have demanded to know why residents have to wait another year for action to fully fix the road.

“ To make matters worse, the pedestrian crossing to Tesco is badly faded. It is not good enough they have waited too long already.”

Watford Observer: Cllr Giles-Medhurst has said the road is made worse by the faded pedestrian crossing.Cllr Giles-Medhurst has said the road is made worse by the faded pedestrian crossing. (Image: Cllr Giles-Medhurst)

A spokesperson for HCC added that the council’s works for next year is still in its draft stage and its engineers are determining the details of next year’s work.

It was decided that Water Lane was the be brought under this programme due to its “condition and its importance in the local road network”.

They added: “Like many roads across the country, Water Lane suffered significantly during the last winter, which saw several extended periods of bad weather including snow, ice and flooding, all of which can take a significant and rapid toll on road surfaces.”