HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds were spent resurfacing a road in Basildon which had been dubbed the “worst in Essex” for potholes.

Great Knightleys, known for its deep potholes, has seen close to £300,000 be used to blanket new tarmac along the 1,500m road.

It comes as the notorious road was dubbed the “worst in Essex” by residents scared for their safety.

Since then, action has been taken to ensure the road is safe, with work taking place last month for two weeks.

A Freedom of Information request showed the council expected to have spent £275,000 when final bills were calculated.

Lee Chapel North Labour councillor Susanna Caira-Neeson welcomed the “much needed” improvement.

She said: “We would welcome any improvements to Great Knightleys.

“Before the works were carried out, there was an accident waiting to happen with cars dodging the potholes.

“However, we need Essex County Council to come up with the money to improve the roads in the rest of Basildon.”

She adds: “There are other roads in Lee Chapel North that need to be resurfaced urgently, with some of them being bus routes, such as Victoria Park, which is absolutely appalling.

“At the end of the day, we need all of the roads in Basildon to function properly because the safety of our residents is a priority, and also because we are moving large amounts of goods around the borough.

“Let’s just hope that the county council will sort them out.”

In April, Basildon Conservatives said they would “demand more money” from Essex County Council to fix potholes across the borough, with the then Tory councillor responsible for regeneration Craig Rimmer saying more funding will “improve connectivity for businesses to prosper”.

For more information on how to report potholes or inform Essex Highways about any road or highway issues, please visit: essexhighways.org/tell-us, or if it is believed there is a risk to public safety, call 0345 603 7631 immediately.