By Patrick LowmanA SHAMBOLIC street, once dubbed “the worst kept road in Britain” by angry residents, is set to receive a £25,000 makeover to improve its appearance.

By Patrick Lowman

A SHAMBOLIC street, once dubbed “the worst kept road in Britain” by angry residents, is set to receive a £25,000 makeover to improve its appearance.

Over the past three decades, Francis Road in Sudbury has fallen into such a state of disrepair that residents have spent years campaigning for action.

Sudbury Town Council has now set aside £25,000 to carry out improvements in the road and hope work will start by the end of the year.

The road, labelled the town's worst eyesore, has been deteriorating since British Rail relinquished responsibility for it in the early 1970s.

The unmade road is currently covered in potholes, loose paving slabs and litter, while household waste and industrial skips line the route.

Its condition is now so bad that many people do not realise it is a designated road and use it as a parking area and a short-cut path.

Sudbury Town Council has now taken on the responsibility for the road and has held a consultation meeting with residents to see what work they wanted carried out.

Deputy town clerk, Ian Clark, said: “We know the nuts of bolts of what we will do and the road will be brought up to the required standard.

“We have budgeted £25,000 for the scheme and we hope the work will start by the end of the year. Discussions on the finer details of the improvements are on-going.”

The surface of Francis Road will be improved as part of the plans, while other work being considered includes introducing better lighting, making the street one-way, installing lockable bollards at either end, starting a permit parking scheme and introducing security cameras.

The town council's highways and footpaths committee will discuss the matter tonight.

patrick.lowman@eadt.co.uk