ZIG ZAG ROAD AND LEACROFT ROAD ASSOCIATION 

Welcome letter (example) 

Dear Owner/Occupier The Road Association committee/ team welcomes you as a neighbour, frontager and resident and would like to tell you a bit about Zig Zag Road and responsibility for its maintenance. 

Status: Zig Zag Road is an unadopted street or highway and in terms of Part XI of the Highways Act 1980 is not maintainable at public expense but by the households fronting or having a boundary with the road. Zig Zag Road is also a ‘public right of way'. Leacroft Close is a spur road maintained by the Council that leads directly on to Zig Zag Road and is the only access for residents in the Close to a public road. Households in Leacroft Close have shared 50% (rising to 100% 2023) of the cost of maintaining Zig Zag Road on a voluntary basis though there is an obligation for all users who have to use the Zig Zag Road to share the cost. This principle was established in past Court judgements. See our web site: https://www.zigzagandleacroftroadassociation.info/ 

Unadopted roads do not have to be adequately maintained by the highway authority under the Highways Act 1980 but the Council is empowered to make emergency repairs if the road becomes a hazard to traffic. The cost of such repair work is passed to the frontagers which if not paid at the time becomes a charge on the relative property. 

History: In the past 50 years or so different residents tried with varying success to make good the road surface. The road has a steep section which was prone to serious erosion from flood water. Heavy rainfall combined with non-existent drainage and increasing traffic volumes, especially by HGVs meant the loose surface would wash away soon after each attempt. By 2016 the road was virtually impassable to vehicular traffic and unsafe for walkers. The Council Waste Collection Contractors stopped bringing their normal sized refuse lorries into the road in 2016 and there was a threat that all refuse and recycling bins would need to be taken to the road entrance / junction with Abbots Lane. Taxi drivers and delivery vehicles were increasingly unwilling to use the road though HGVs continued to do so, accelerating the collapse of the road. The state of the road was also damaging property values. The current Road Association was formed in 2016 to ‘adopt’ the road and resolve longstanding problems with the maintenance of Zig Zag Road. Attempts by residents to get Croydon Council to adopt the road were unsuccessful. 

After three separate meetings with Council representatives during 2016 and 2017 concerning our proposed solutions for the road and after a year of fundraising from the frontagers, including Leacroft Close, a specialist contractor called Re Drive was employed to cement stabilise the road at a cost of £24,000 inc VAT. Residents funded this work (£1200 for Zig Zag frontagers and £600 for Leacroft Close). 

Conventional tarmac solutions with proper drainage and foundation layers would have cost at least 4 times this sum. Cement stabilisation was chosen as the only way to create a viable, affordable and durable road surface with simple but effective surface water run-offs. The work was carried out in August 2017 and the road survived severe frosts and heavy rain over  subsequent winters. 

The appearance of the road surface was spoiled by an overnight storm the day after it had laid but it has proved very strong and is unlikely to need any major work for some years when the same process could be carried out. A major benefit of cement stabilisation is that a thick slab of roadway is created using the material in situ and can be re-stabilised in future using the same in-situ material. Minor repairs are cheap and easy to carry out using cement based products. It is also possible to surface dress the road with a conventional road surface if there is a willingness to pay for it. 

The photo gallery on the web site shows how the cement stabilisation process was carried out in 2017.  Annual repairs have been carried out by members themselves.

The Road Association holds public liability insurance at a cost of about £130 per annum expiring in July each year. 

Future: To mitigate the financial burden of future major project costs and the cost of insurance and to ensure a maintained roadway in the short to medium term the annual road levy, which is due in August each year, is £50 per annum for Zig Zag Road frontagers and £25 for Leacroft Close residents. The rate of road levy may be reviewed from time to time in line with inflation or to deal with any major problems with the roadway that might arise. The Treasurer/Secretary issues reminders in June/July each year showing the levy due for each property. Payment can be made by cash or cheque but preferably by setting up an annual standing order in which case invoices will only be issued if the levy is altered. Please email the Secretary zzandlra01@gmail.com with your name, phone number as he/she sends out alerts from time to time concerning road closures etc as well as invoices/reminders for the road levy. 

There are links to other local road and the Kenley Residents Association on our web site; https://sites.google.com/view/zigzagandleacroftroadassoc/home 

Duties of the Road Committee: Some of the areas covered by the Road Committee are: 

 Road maintenance including sweeps and resurfacing. Members may be asked to help with repairs - normally a social working party on an annual basis and as required. 

 Rights of way and general environmental concerns including dealing with building contractors and developers and routing of traffic to Welcomes Road. 

 Reporting signage and street lighting damage to the Council. 

 Reporting issues with services on and under the road inc salt bin filling   Ensuring access remains free at all times and that there are no obstructions from encroaching vegetation. Verges and hedgerows bordering the roadway are the responsibility of the homeowner. If a frontager allows their verge/hedge to become overgrown the Association may ask you trim it back. 

 Taking action to try to minimise through traffic and discourage speeding. 

 Discouraging parking on the road by non members  Erecting Private Road signage and in need no parking signs 

 Creation and maintenance of a web site 

 Collection of road levies annually and property payment statements to solicitors at change of ownership  Maintaining public liability insurance cover  Creation and maintenance of a web site 

 Providing accounts ending 31st March each year All residents identify that HGV traffic contributes significantly to erosion and damage to the road surface. The Road Association will observe building works and may intervene if new building work in the area is likely to have an adverse impact on our roads. 

Tradesmen using the road for HGV access or parking of construction vehicles will be asked to contribute to the Road Fund. Ideally this will by prior agreement. 

The constitution may be accessed by reference to the web site; https://sites.google.com/view/zigzagandleacroftroadassoc/home

 The Committee proposes to invoice/remind you for your contribution to the road fund in June/July annually for payment in August or earlier if members wish to do so. 

The Association has a Bank account at Lloyds Bank as follows: 

Name: Zig Zag and Leacroft Road Association 

Sort code: 30 96 26 

Account: 29376768 

The Road Association aims to uphold a fair and reasonable sharing of the costs associated with maintaining Zig Zag Road amongst frontagers and users of the roadway who are responsible for its upkeep in compliance with the Highways Act 1980. 

The Committee/Secretary is always happy to be approached with any individual queries and welcomes assistance with the running of the committee and general meetings including work parties to carry out light maintenance tasks. 

The bank signatories are: Richard Russell, Secretary: 020 8668 7293 Mobile 07563 723809  Linda Wales and Victoria Deadman Gatt Treasurers