Conran blasts endless roadworks

Sir Terence Conran is not a happy man. Standing by a hole in the road and a large pile of rubble that disfigures the street leading to Tate Modern, he winced at the poor impression it must make on visitors to one of the capital's most popular attractions.

The designer and restaurateur had singled out the junction of Southwark Street and Sumner Street close to the South Bank for his wrath, although any hole in the road that blocks traffic for weeks on end - particularly where there is no sign of any work being done - is enough to anger him.

Sumner Street is the main access road for Tate Modern. But on the day we visited the road was shut - and there were no prizes for guessing why.

Sir Terence, 70, was furious. "This is horrendous," he bellowed as he surveyed the scene. "If the roadworks are so essential why is no one doing anything? And look at all this crap everywhere. Why? This is the road to the Tate Modern for tourists and anyone in taxis.

"God knows what they have done to attendances there. The gallery is a huge success for London and you can't get through. It is a terrible image for the city."

A waist-high pile of rubble sat next to the hole, which was almost the size of a car, and lumps of wood and rubbish were scattered around. "No entry" signs were attached to the plastic barrier around the hole, with a message saying gas piping company Transco apologised "for any inconvenience during these essential works". An emergency phone number was displayed - and there was not a workman in sight.

A strong smell of gas was in the air and pipes were visible in the hole. "Unbelievable," said Sir Terence as he left, shaking his head.

More than 40,000 holes are dug on London's roads each year, a number which comes as no surprise to Sir Terence. "It is utterly ridiculous that we all wander round finding enormous amounts of roadworks, with the same place being dug up again and again," he said.

"Piccadilly was dug up for 18 months with no sign of anyone doing any work on it. I could not believe that such a vital road was dug up. That's the thing that is most infuriating - the sight of nobody working while it is barricaded off.

"I have no problem with progress and I love to see our city developing. But it is quite intolerable to be constantly held up by yawning chasms that appear on a seemingly daily basis and don't disappear for months, if not years."

Since last April Westminster council has handed out more than £1million in fines to utility companies that have failed to complete roadworks on time. Meanwhile, a new scheme piloted in Camden imposes a daily charge on companies of up to £500 per day if they overshoot their allotted time. The Evening Standard quickly found more roadworks to anger Sir Terence. In Sloane Square, one of the eastbound lanes on the north side was blocked by a hole one metre across, again dug by Transco.

In nearby Eaton Square, just before the turning north into Lyall Street, a 60-metre stretch of one of the two eastbound lanes had been fenced off by London Paving. Behind the barrier was a mound of sand, piles of railings, concrete blocks and roadworks signs. But no workmen.

And in central London, close to the Old Bailey, a 20-metre stretch of one lane of Newgate Street was blocked off for a hole just 3ft long and 1ft wide. Rubber boots and trousers were within the barrier, but no workers and no company name were visible.

Sir Terence believes the Thames could be put to greater use: "I think the solution is an integrated transport system for London, with Tubes, buses and boats. Solutions are staring us in the face. I am not against congestion charges. I don't think they are going to work because a large part of the congestion is caused by roadworks, but they are a good idea."