TfB’s plane and patch programme 2019 is complete!

Transport for Buckinghamshire’s £4 million plane and patch programme has reached completion, with over 100 roads receiving treatment across the county since the start of March this year.

Schemes in the plane and patch programme were chosen, and the work guided, by TfB’s Local Area Technicians (LATs), who have a broad knowledge of the roads around Buckinghamshire and those most in need of plane and patch treatment, including minor estate roads which are important to local residents.

Carrying out work on some of the quieter, more residential roads did raise some questions with the public which were addressed by TfB using our blog and via social media.

When it comes to prioritising which roads to repair, TfB takes a balanced approach. We believe this strategy provides the best mix of preventative and replacement work across all roads in the county. Plane and patch work is particularly effective on minor roads and this explains why a lot of quieter, residential areas do receive plane and patch treatment.

Because the majority of the annual budget is targeted at ensuring our main roads remain in good condition, with most of our larger resurfacing and surface treatment schemes taking place on more strategically important roads, it is important that we do not allow our main roads to take up our entire budget. Many minor roads also require treatment, and they are important to the many locals who use them on a daily basis.

Deputy Leader and Transportation Cabinet Member Mark Shaw said, “Plane and patch treatment is an essential tool in our armoury for repairing some of the roads in Buckinghamshire, which see a high number of users travelling across our network every day.

“This type of treatment provides a great opportunity to repair pothole clusters and focus on the roads that cause the most concern for members of the public. With the work being weather dependent, luck was on our side and we managed to complete the work within the expected period, with no inclement weather to hold us back.”

This year, communication was key. County Councillors and members of the public were kept well informed of the plane and patch programme which proved very popular. All parties were updated with information on the work going on in their areas, as well as an array of ‘before and after’ photos that were shared and were well received across our social media channels.