Developers are to be asked to pay for damage caused to roads during the construction of houses, under a new policy being introduced by Westmeath County Council.
The policy will affect those who construct one-off houses on local tertiary roads. A sum of money may be payable to the council after construction is completed, depending on the amount of damage caused to the road during construction.
The policy will relate primarily to the entrance to the development where the turning of heavy vehicles affects the surface, leading to pavement damage and potholes.
The amount to be paid will be estimated before construction commences and included in the planning file, and will only be called in following an inspection by the area engineer post-construction. If there is no damage, no contribution will be payable.
Speaking to councillors at Monday’s county council meeting, county manager Dan McLoughlin said the amount of funding available for local tertiary roads is currently very small.
“The amount of money available for the restoration and maintenance of roads is not sufficient, particularly in the context of the last two winters, which resulted in significant pavement damage to all road classes.
“The road network is a public asset and the council has a duty to all road users to keep it in the best possible condition. In the absence of this special contribution, the cost of the repair of these roads would fall on the general road maintenance grants and would result in the lack of maintenance elsewhere on the network,” he added.
