The panel in charge of improving Epping Forest’s roads did not spend £120,000 of their budget last year, it has been revealed.

Epping Forest District Council now risk losing the Essex Highways funds at the next budget, which could be spent on road safety measures and traffic management schemes.

At a meeting of the Epping Forest Local Highways Panel in January it emerged that approximately £120,000 from last year's budget had been returned to the Essex County Portfolio Holder, Councillor Rodney Bass.

Although all of this district's highway budget was allocated, schemes were not completed by Essex Highways, the department that looks after road maitenance in the county, and funds had been reallocated out of the district.

The Chairman Cllr John Knapman stated that in order for this panel to keep all of their allocated budget the district council should overspend and ensure all of their budget is utilised in Epping Forest.

Residents of Sewardstone Road in Waltham Abbey had been campaigning for road safety measures at the accident blackspot before a woman was killed in November and to prevent some of the "countless accidents" since.

Sarah-Jane McNulty said council failure to spend the money was “outrageous.”

She said: “We, on Sewardstone Road, always seem to be forgotten. I have personally complained about the situation to which nothing has been done. [The council] do not seem interested.

“Then we had the death of the poor woman last November and I pursued them again, still nothing.

“Something needs to be done to stop these reckless drivers speeding down our road without care or consideration.

“There is nothing in place at all for pedestrians and no safe crossings in place either.

"The council switch the lights off all night, it’s terrifying to think that these vehicles are flying past our home in the pitch dark.

“It is only a matter of time before we have more accidents and deaths on our road for sure.”

Resident Genevieve Crawley said she is interested in starting a petition herself to get road improvements for Sewardstone Road.

She said: “I think it is the normal local government policy of one department not speaking to another, resulting in the financial year ending and no work being carried out.

“I, for one would like to see traffic calming measures in Sewardstone road including lorries being banned between the hours of 11pm and 5am.”

“Given there were a further three accidents in Sewardstone Road just last week alone, it will not be long before another fatality happens.”

Kiley Byatt, who regularly visits a stable on Sewardstone Road, said the council’s failure to spend the money does not surprise her.

She said: “I found them completely disinterested when I contacted them regarding the situation on our road and in fact they never even acknowledged my second email to them.

“I still feel strongly that something needs to be done about the speed of the road and since Christmas there has been even more accidents that I have now lost count.”

Essex Highways say that to launch an investigation for road safety measures there needs to be four or more personal injury collisions in a 50 metre radius within the last five years.

Essex County Council has been approached for comment.