May Gurney has been identified as the preferred bidder for the highways maintenance service for Surrey County Council.

The £19.5m per annum contract will provide core maintenance, surface treatment, gritting services and flood prevention across the county's 4,776km of roads from April 2011.

In addition, May Gurney will provide maintenance for cycle ways, footpaths and drainage infrastructure. The company will also maintain and clean street signs.

The process for identifying potholes and other defects will be simplified through innovative scheduling and co-ordinating technology and processes, allowing May Gurney to cut administration and use a common sense approach to making minor repairs.

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These systems also enable tracking of work progress, providing transparency and accountability for Surrey County Council and local residents and businesses.

The six-year initial contract will see May Gurney cutting at least £4m from the cost of maintaining Surrey's highways.

Gary Mills, Managing Director, May Gurney Highways Services, said: "We are delighted to have been chosen by Surrey County Council to develop and run its new highways maintenance programme.

"This new type of contract provides confidence and reassurance for Surrey. It confirms May Gurney as the market leader for bringing innovation and quality to our clients, and delivering essential services to residents, businesses and road users."

The Surrey County Council contract will also see May Gurney working with other local authorities across the south east to identify any economies of scale that can be achieved through join purchasing or sharing of facilities, with the aim of delivering additional savings.

(CD/GK)