Conservative Controlled Council Invests Extra £500,000 for Staffordshire’s Potholes

Staffordshire County Council has announced an additional £500,000 of funding to repair the county’s potholes, on top of the £43.5m spent on repairing and improving Staffordshire’s roads every year.

Making the announcement, Mike Maryon, Staffordshire’s highways chief, said, “We are constantly working to improve our roads to keep them safe.  The extra half a million pounds allocated to repairing potholes, is testament that the county council is a well-run,  responsible authority, that puts the safety of Staffordshire’s people at the forefront.

“Well maintained highways are vital to Staffordshire’s economy and for the past three years, we have successfully reduced the number of potholes on our roads.  However, in the last six months, we identified 6,500 potholes – a 50% increase on the previous year, which followed the county’s wettest year on record and which will have increased further, because of recent heavy snow and a further deluge of rain.

“The severe weather we’ve been experiencing has taken its toll, but once conditions allow, our dedicated highways team will be out and about repairing the potholes.  We are doing all we can to fix the problem but will have to prioritise.  I’d ask people to be patient as this is a huge job and will take some time.  In the meantime, please continue to report any potholes by phoning our hotline.”

Staffordshire County Council has invested £50m to improve the state of its roads, to keep them well maintained and extend the life of the carriageways.  The additional money announced today will be used specifically for the repair of potholes.

People can help by reporting potholes or damaged roads to the County Council by phoning 0300 111 8000, by email highways@staffordshire.gov.uk or via their website.