Pothole reports fall by three quarters in Northumberland

04 Jun 2024 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news

The number of potholes reported in Northumberland fell by 74% in the last three months. 

The statistics come as Cabinet are set to consider latest Office for Local Government (Oflog) analysis, which shows Northumberland is performing better in 14 of the 27 metrics than their Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Nearest Neighbours. 

Oflog’s aim is to improve the transparency of local government performance through the publication of carefully selected data. 

The most recent road condition surveys from March 2024 showed A roads are improving due to investment following unprecedented weather such as Storm Arwen and the very wet winter. 

In Northumberland, the number of pothole reports peaked in February at 2,100, but fell to just 535 in May, with 12,588 road repairs carried out since April 1 alone. 

Northumberland County Council's budget, set in February, included £36 million in funding to maintain the county's roads. Extra funding was also set aside specifically for repairs to smaller U and C class roads in rural areas. 

The Council’s Fix My Street app is also making it easier for people to report any issues, so that they are quickly resolved. 

A Northumberland County Council spokesperson said: “Road repairs are a priority. 

“Now the weather is improving, we’re really stepping up a gear and this fall in the number of potholes being reported is testament to the hard work of our teams who have carried out over 12,000 road repairs in the last eight weeks alone. 

“We know we still have a big task ahead and we have 3,000 miles of roads and a lot of those are rural and U and C class. 

"But we're very confident that the significant capital maintenance programme that is already well underway across the county’s highway network will enable us to get on top and improve our roads and deliver a much better standard of repairs."