A newly elected South Essex MP has slammed the state of the county's roads calling them "completely unacceptable" and insists it's a priority for him to ensure safety for residents and drivers.

Richard Holden, Tory MP for Basildon and Billericay met with a local councillor and county council staff in Laindon which he says is "one of the worst examples" to discuss and highlight the issue. 

Mr Holden was elected for the constituency by just 20 votes, following a dramatic evening at the election count last month, that required two recounts to confirm the winner. Mr Holden, who was chosen last minute as the Tory candidate after his past constituency in Durham was lost following constituency boundary changes, takes over from former Tory MP John Baron who had stood down after 23 years.

Posting on Facebook about the roads, he said: "The road surfaces in too many parts of Basildon and Billericay are completely unacceptable. One of the worst examples is in Laindon on the roundabout between the community centre and the Laindon Centre.

"I was glad to be able to meet county councillor Jeff Henry down there with senior council officers from Essex County Council to really ram home to them how important it is to get them immediate repairs sorted and a long-term fix to the concrete road in place.

"I'll keep working alongside our councillors, like Jeff, right across Basildon, Billericay and the villages, until it gets sorted. I know the concrete roads make it more difficult in some areas but no one should be facing dangerous or unsafe roads."

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 maximise our limited resources, we have to fix the most urgent issues first. However, every defect reported to us is assessed by an inspector and prioritised.

"In the 2023/24 financial year we fixed 1,654 potholes in Basildon, and so far we have fixed 481 since April this year.

"Today we have also announced a Priority One £25 million funding boost to change the face of Essex's road network. This will power resurfacing on key roads, as well as ensure roadside vegetation is kept in check and signs and lines are repaired and repainted.

"We would like the government to give us access to the road tax paid by Essex residents to enable us to fix potholes quicker."