After years of frustration, work has finally begun on Haslemere’s crumbling Petworth Road — once branded “lethal” by residents.

The long-awaited project follows a joint campaign by the Haslemere Herald and local Liberal Democrats to pressure Surrey County Council into taking action.

Essential drainage works are now underway, with full resurfacing set to follow. It comes more than a year after £100,000 was ring-fenced for repairs — money that remained unused while the road continued to deteriorate.

Surrey County Councillor John Robini, who led the push for improvements, called the works “a fantastic result” but warned against “short-term, poor-quality repairs.” “Our roads need proper investment,” he said. “Piecemeal pothole patchworks are a waste of money in the long run. Haslemere deserves better.”

Liberal Democrat campaigner Theresa Meredith-Hardy said: “For years, residents have had to put up with dangerous conditions on one of our main routes. It shouldn’t take this much pressure to get the basics right — but when councillors and the community work together and keep the issue in the public eye, things happen.”

A Surrey County Council spokesperson said: “Drainage works began on September 22 and are scheduled to finish by the end of the month. They will help prevent future issues with two overflow pipes leading into the stream below. Resurfacing will follow at night under a part-time road closure, and the scheme will be monitored over the next year to ensure it works effectively.”

Local resident Roger Lowry, one of the first to raise concerns, said: “It’s great to see the drainage work finally underway. It’s been a long time coming, but this mustn’t be another half-measure.”

Recent resurfacing of Lower Street, Woolmer Hill Road, Weyhill, and Grayswood Road has already made a visible difference, and campaigners hope Petworth Road will soon join them.