AN INDEPENDENT business owner has slammed the “awful” condition of Basildon’s streets after she lost out on £3,000 after her van hit a “massive lump” in the road. 

Lauren Williams runs her business, Ultra Events Essex, with her partner Wayne providing photo booths, dance floors and DJ equipment for parties. 

However, when Wayne was driving along Broadmayne in the town centre he hit a huge lump which sent all the equipment in the van flying - causing damage and smashing a photobooth. 

Broadmayne has regularly come under criticism for being notorious for potholes. 
Lauren has been quoted in excess of £2,000 to repair the damaged property and had to shell out another £900 to get people to cover her business’ upcoming bookings.

Damage: The photobooth glass smashed after the van went over a massive lump on Broadmayne road.Damage: The photobooth glass smashed after the van went over a massive lump on Broadmayne road. (Image: Lauren Williams)

 

She said: “My partner was driving the van up Broadmayne Road, towards Pitsea, and was forced to go into the right lane because of ongoing roadworks.

“That side of the road has a massive lump on there that has been there for months now. He couldn’t reduce his speed to keep up with traffic and as he went over the lump, the material at the back of the van just shifted and the glass of our photobooth shattered.

“It’s caused us to have to spend a lot of money. I’ve had to pay people to cover our events because I can’t let my customers down.

“The roads here around Basildon are just awful. I can’t believe our council tax was put up again this year and the state of the roads is still like this.

“I’m glad for the work that they are doing but it seems like they are not doing it fast enough or not doing it in the right places.”

Since the incident, the 39-year-old has been struggling to file a complaint with Essex County Council but has been offered support by councillor Emma Callaghan.

 

Awful: Damage: Lauren has had to shell out £900 to get others to cover her upcoming events. (Image: Lauren Williams)

 

Lauren added: “If ECC just held their hands up and said their roads are awful, I’d feel a bit better and wouldn’t mind supporting them with council tax.”

A spokesperson for Essex Highways said: “We maintain over 5,000 miles of roads, one of the largest road networks in the country. In order to maximize our limited resources, we fix the most urgent issues first. Every defect reported to us is assessed by an inspector and prioritised.

“Overall, Essex County Council actually puts more money into Basildon than it raises in terms of tax, meaning Basildon get more than its share.”