FILLING potholes would benefit residents more than a multi-million pound project to straighten the Fortune of War, a council leader has claimed as a war of words breaks out.

Basildon Council leader Gavin Callaghan has claimed Essex County Council failed to notify the local authority of its funding bid to carry out major work on the A127 – including straightening the junction and building new walking and cycling routes.

Labour Basildon leader Mr Callaghan says he was unaware until the county council issued a press release. However Essex County Council claims councils were met with and written to.

He added there is more the county council should be doing for Basildon – including filling potholes.

Mr Callaghan said: “It would have been nice for the county council to tell us, we were unaware of the request going to the Government.

“We are going to be making a case to the Government about our priorities for Basildon and obviously Essex County Council decided not to join up with us on this. There are more things the county council could be doing such as filling in some of the potholes, this is what comes up on the doorstep when speaking to people, not straightening the Fortune of War junction.

“It would be nice to be all working as one voice in south Essex as a new Government comes in.

“South Essex was not consulted and we have a number of priorities ahead of this. There was no courtesy from Essex County Council and it’s disappointing.”

If agreed, the public will be given an opportunity to comment on the proposed work through a public consultation.

Tom Cunningham, Essex County Council cabinet member for highways, Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport, said: “We have regularly engaged with councils in south Essex through meetings of the A127 Engagement Group.

“Funding for the scheme is being pursued from the Government’s Major Road Network (MRN) programme. This funding is only available for enhancement schemes on the country’s busiest and most economically important local authority ‘A’ roads. There is specific eligibility criteria. Pothole repairs would not be eligible for the funding.”