Council criticised over roads spend

Driving on Worksop’s pothole stricken roads is like going back in time to the cobbled streets of the 1800s, according to one councillor.
Coun Kevin Greaves, Shadow Member for Transport and Highways at Notts County CouncilCoun Kevin Greaves, Shadow Member for Transport and Highways at Notts County Council
Coun Kevin Greaves, Shadow Member for Transport and Highways at Notts County Council

Coun Kevin Greaves has slated Notts County Council for what he says is a failure to keep the roads in good repair.

“We need to make road repairs more efficient so that potholes are not being patched up time and time again,” said the shadow member for highways and transport. “To save money we have got to get these repairs done properly first time. Otherwise you are throwing money down a black hole.”

Coun Greaves quoted figures which show a 400 per cent increase in the number of potholes reported by members of the public to Notts County Council over the last three years.

In 2009/10 the number was 2,282 and projections for 2012/13 suggest the number could reach 9,211. A total of 32,000 potholes are recorded by the council each year, including those spotted on routine inspections.

Coun Greaves also claimed the council was paying out millions of pounds a year in compensation to motorists for vehicle damage.

But the council said the actual figure was far lower than Coun Greaves suggested, standing at £51,000 since April 2010.

A spokesman explained that while most claims were refuted by the council, the money to cover each claim had to be held in reserve, adding up to a large figure.

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