THERE is no cash available to repaint road markings at a ‘dangerous’ junction in Oxford, according to the county council.

Faded lines on pavements are among the problems at roads around the Botley Interchange in Oxford, which need to be addressed as ‘a matter of urgency’, according to the leader of Vale of White Horse District Council Emily Smith.

The councillor, who grew up in Abingdon and is familiar with the road problems in the area, spotted that the signs at the fast junction where Hutchcomb Road bends, which is near the roundabout, need urgent repainting.

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Ms Smith, who lives in Botley, said: “I walk this route every day and I noticed it is quite a tight bend with the curving, so there are a lot of people do not notice the junction very clearly.

“When I was walking I realised that those markings are badly faded and particularly in the rain, it's hard to see.

“I instantly thought that it does not look very safe and that they need to be repainted.

But when the councillor reported the problem to Oxfordshire County Council on the Fix My Street website, the authority said that it would take ‘no further action’.

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In a response on Fix My Street, which allows people to report road problems, the council said: “Our budgets for this current financial year have nearly all been allocated.”

A spokesperson for the authority revealed that the lines reported at Hutchcombe Road had been assessed as ‘not critical’.

It was confirmed they had been ‘noted for inclusion’ in a wider programme of works but this does not necessarily mean that the works will be included in the next financial year.

The spokesperson added: “As with many aspects of highway maintenance, we have limited resources and we need to prioritise where we allocate funds, focussing on those which present the most risk to the users of the network.

“We use the reports received, alongside our own inspections, to generate programmes of work to refresh lining across the county.

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“This type of works is best suited to be carried out during the drier months and hence the majority of our programmed works have been allocated.”

Ms Smith admitted she was surprised when she was told ‘there is no money left in the pot’.

She explained her confusion: “Perhaps towards the end of the financial year that might be understandable but the fact that we are only in October and they have run out of money for relining is worrying, particularly that junction is not particularly safe.”