In Derbyshire, sometimes branded the pothole capital of England, the results will likely be read with interest.
But official data points to the scale of the task locally. The RAC identified Derbyshire as the worst region in England for potholes, with Department for Transport figures showing the local authority has the most roads and motorways where repairs should be considered.
Cllr Charlotte Hill, Reform UK’s Cabinet Member for Potholes, Highways and Transport at Derbyshire County Council (Photo:
Data obtained by the Liberal Democrats showed Derbyshire was the area most riddled with potholes in 2021/22, with 90,596, the highest of any of 81 councils who responded.
Across the country, the cost of repairing pothole-plagued roads has hit a record high of almost £17bn, with the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) finding one in six miles of local roads had less than five years of structural life remaining.
Charlotte Hill, the Reform councillor now in charge of Derbyshire’s roads after the party ousted the Tories in May, welcomes the increased transparency of the new reporting system.
“We have a bigger budget than last year in Derbyshire now so that we have the ability to address more issues within the highways.
Under the new reporting system, a RAG (red, amber, green) rating is being produced for councils on pothole maintenance.
Derbyshire’s new Reform team has indicated there are 66,000 Derbyshire potholes to be repaired and says the county’s highways will be noticeably better within a year.
She believes the problems in Derbyshire, which Reform seized from the Tories in May’s local election, stems from potholes being “reactively” fixed instead of preventive measures being prioritised.
“It is a frustration of ours and of our residents that they can go and resurface Road A and road B, but road C joining up to road A and road B gets ignored,” she said.
“Officers have been working quite hard on it, and likely the gangs on on the ground as well have. Because of that previous title [pothole capital of England], now hopefully we get a good chance to flip that around.”
The Pothole Pro repair machine, capable of fixing a pothole in eight minutes is also being considered.
And while Cllr Hill says she “fully support residents being able to see the condition of their roads” as part of the new Government reporting requirement, others have expressed reservations about funding.
“This funding uncertainty stops highways authorities from planning and commissioning works as cost effectively as possible, or from causing the least disruption to road users,” he said
“So while the Government’s commitment to additional funding for the 2025/26 financial year – the short-term cash injection with greater accountability announced in December – was welcome, it is unlikely to improve structural conditions or reduce road user complaints,” he said.
“This is just the start – the Government will also be investing a further £24bn over the next four years to upgrade motorways and local roads across the country, delivering lasting infrastructure Britain can rely on.
“The public deserves to know how their councils are improving their local roads, which is why we are asking councils to publish reports on their websites setting out exactly how they are spending the money.”
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( The Reform council at the heart of the pothole crisis – and how it can be fixed )
Also on site :