Letter: Frequent Disruption to A281 Traffic Is Costly

Published on: 11 Dec, 2025
Updated on: 11 Dec, 2025

Roadworks disrupted A281 traffic in June 2025.

From Jack Bayliss

I wrote the following last month to Cllr Matt Furniss, the Surrey County Council Cabinet member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth.

He is also the county councillor for the Shalford division and a Guildford Borough Councillor:

Dear Councillor Furniss,

You are no doubt aware of the seemingly never-ending roadworks on the A281 between Guildford and Shalford.

Recently four weeks of roadworks in two places, necessitating single lane traffic between the Seahorse and the bridge over the railway at Shalford, were advertised by Highways Surrey as “road safety improvements”.

It can now be seen that the work consisted of a single speed bump on each side of the road near St Mary’s Church where the speed limit reduces to 20 mph, a ramp at pavement height across the road at the pedestrian traffic lights near the Seahorse, with bumps on the footpath on either side the for visually impaired, and a similar ramp across the road near the Queen Victoria pub and Shalford Primary School.

Currently [at the time of writing], after about a week’s respite, there are again traffic lights along the same stretch of road. They are, I understand, because of gas leaks.

At 4 o’clock on Wednesday afternoon [November 12] there were two sets of lights. One, at the bridge over the Tillingbourne, had no evident purpose. The other, about 200 metres to the south, appeared to be to allow work beneath the footpath and therefore a section of the road to be cordoned off for pedestrians. The only workman in sight was one man controlling traffic with a STOP/GO sign, over-riding the northern set of traffic lights. (I was on foot so this was not a fleeting glance.)

Today, Friday, at 10 o’clock and again at 11 o’clock, the northern set of lights had gone but there was no workman in sight nor any parked plant vehicle at the traffic lights further south. In moderate traffic, the lights were red for almost exactly one minute.

I have not done any research into the number of vehicles using the A281 per day but as you will know it is considerable as the road is one of the main arteries into and out of Guildford from the south with no real alternative.

The number could be easily measured. It must be many hundreds, perhaps thousands, in each direction. Probably at least half are driven by economically active drivers. The time of each economically active driver and economically active passenger is worth at least £12.21 (the statutory minimum wage) per hour and probably on average a great deal more.

The time they are delayed will vary, of course, depending upon traffic levels and is probably between one minute and a maximum of 15 minutes.

It seems to me that we, the tax and ratepayers, are entitled to ask you, as our relevant elective representative whose allowances, including responsibility allowance, I note amount to some £40,000 p.a.:

– Where partial road closures are the result of work being done by the Highways Agency, whether the justification in terms of the cost to the Council (i.e. tax and rate payers) and the economic cost to the economy through working hours lost by road users, when set against any real safety improvements is properly considered and deemed justified on each occasion?

– Where the closures are by utility companies, what is done by the Council to minimise traffic disruption by ensuring that the work is completed in the shortest possible time which would include work on site during working hours and that traffic lights, which are provided by a different company, are removed immediately the work has ben completed. (The per diem charge which utility companies have to pay to the Council for road closures would appear to be quite inadequate.)

I have now received a response from Cllr Furniss who writes:

Dear Jack Bayliss,

Cllr Matt Furniss

Thank you for contacting us regarding the recent and ongoing roadworks along the A281 between the Seahorse and the railway bridge at Shalford. I fully appreciate how disruptive this has been for residents, businesses and commuters, particularly as this route carries a high volume of traffic and has very limited alternative options.

We recognise that any restriction on the A281 creates unavoidable disruption. Planned works of this type are assessed and coordinated in advance to minimise impact wherever possible and are scheduled only once the necessary approvals have been given.

Following a short period of clear traffic, this same stretch of road has unfortunately been affected by emergency works relating to gas and water leaks. Under national legislation, utility companies must act immediately when dealing with potential gas escapes or other dangerous faults, and they are legally entitled to install temporary traffic signals and occupy the highway without delay.

I understand your concerns about traffic lights being present when no activity is visible. Surrey County Council’s Street works inspectors monitor active sites to ensure that traffic management is appropriate, justified and removed as soon as it is no longer required. Where problems are identified—such as signals left in place without operational need—utility companies are instructed to remove or adjust them immediately, and enforcement action can be taken where necessary.

At gas emergency sites, there is often a need to monitor gas levels after a repair has been made to ensure that the gas in the ground and utility conduits drops as they would expect as the gas filters out of the ground and systems. This may mean that prior to reinstating, the site might appear unoccupied whilst the gas levels are being monitored by operatives nearby.

We fully acknowledge the wider economic and practical impact caused when traffic is delayed on a major arterial route such as the A281. To help reduce disruption and drive higher standards, Surrey County Council has introduced two major initiatives:

Lane Rental Scheme: Surrey is the first authority outside the national trial to implement Lane Rental, enabling the Council to charge utility companies up to £2,000 per day for works on our busiest and most sensitive parts of the network. This encourages shorter durations, better planning and more efficient delivery.

Street Works Task Force: A dedicated task force works directly with utility companies to improve communication, strengthen planning, and promote best practice across all works carried out on Surrey’s roads. This includes challenging excessive durations, reviewing working hours, and ensuring traffic management is proportionate.

It is appreciated that there are concerns that the cost both to the Council and the economy to construct road safety schemes such as traffic calming measures and reduced speed limits cannot be justified, due to the cost of temporary disruption caused to construct these schemes.

However, the evidence from the implementation of such schemes throughout the UK shows that they have been very effective in reducing collisions (which are a big source of congestion and disruption to the road network) and road casualties, enduringly. This provides a huge benefit to the economy by reducing the burden on the health service, reducing the loss of economic output from individuals who would be unable to work while recuperating, and from damage to property.

The following link takes you to tables showing the economic value to society from preventing road collisions. Road safety statistics: data tables – GOV.UK. Slower speeds also support more walking and cycling by making it safer and more pleasant, which in turn helps to reduce car dependency and traffic congestion. Therefore, the short-term disruption during implementation is more than outweighed by the long-term benefits.

Thank you again for raising these concerns. Please be assured that we remain committed to minimising unnecessary disruption while ensuring that essential safety and utility works can be delivered effectively.

I hope, that I have been able to explain the council’s position and reassured you that the council has listened to your concerns.