'We've put up with this disgraceful road for seven years', say residents on one of biggest estates in Milton Keynes

Pembroke Lane on Whitehouse has not yet been adopted by Milton Keynes City Council and is still the responsibility of the developers, Bovis Homes.

Residents say it has not been surfaced or maintained for seven years and is full of cracks, bumps and potholes from construction traffic.

"It’s a major issue for us,” said one woman. “We’ve have had many problems with our cars due to the unsurfaced road. We’ve have had oil leaks from cars where they have been scraped underneath on the uneven parts and harsh speed bumps.

“There’s been lots of issues with tyres and suspension damage to cars as well.”

The estate’s community council has tried contacting Bovis to ask that the road be properly surfaced, but say they’ve had no success.

The Citizen contacted Bovis Homes three days ago to ask whether there were plans to improve the road. We are still awaiting a response from them.

Whitehouse is part of the city’s Western Expansion area for MK and thousands of new homes have been built there over the past few years.

Once a development is complete and the road is up to a certain standard, MK City Council will adopt it and become responsible for its maintenance.

There is usually section agreement under the Highways Act to allow the council to take over all roads, footways, and public open spaces in new developments if the developer offers them.

Meanwhile, the developer is responsible for constructing the roads to the council's standards, which include suitable drainage and street lighting. The developer must also issue an information letter to residents that outlines their maintenance obligations

The council will check that the roads meet their standards before adopting them. If adopted, the council will pay for repairs, cleaning, and and gritting.

Until recently, Whitehouse residents had also been campaigning for a shop on their estate. Despite the thousands of new homes, three new schools and a state-of-the-art health centre, the area did not have a single shop for residents to buy staples such as bread and milk.

Now, however, a mini supermarket has finally opened.