Council Prioritising Winter‑Related Pothole Repairs

Cheshire East Council is working hard to tackle the rise in potholes typically seen at this time of year and has deployed additional crews to carry out repairs across the borough.

Winter conditions have a major impact on the condition of road network, and the combination of heavy rainfall followed by freezing presents a challenge to local councils across the country.

Despite these pressures, we remain committed in tackling these issues, making the best possible use of our limited budgets to keep the network safe and moving. During the first week of January, we dealt with severe winter conditions and the effects of Storm Goretti, which has significantly contributed to the rise in potholes at this time of year.

Councillor Liz Braithwaite, vice chair of Cheshire East Council’s Highways and Transport committee, said:

“At this time of year, particularly following the storms and prolonged wet and freezing conditions, it is usual to see an increase in potholes and road surface issues being reported to us. We’re not alone in facing this challenge, with councils across the country experiencing the same pressures.

“We absolutely understand the frustration this causes for our residents and road users, and we have deployed additional resources to help us respond to this challenge. We will be spending nearly £1m before the end of March to address the impact of deterioration on key areas of the network from weather over the autumn and winter. This is on top of our normal spending of around £3m on maintaining road surfaces.

“When we respond to a report about a road defect, it is always our aim to carry out permanent repairs but sometimes that is not possible due to factors such as the weather conditions and the high volume of defects during winter. To manage this increased demand within our resources, we are temporarily changing how we make repairs until later in the year, when volumes decrease and our extensive resurfacing and patching programme begins.

“This means some repairs are temporary to make sure the road is safe. These repairs may look less neat because they’re not fully cut out or sealed, but they are reasonably durable and, most importantly, keep the road safe. After making the road safe, we review each location to decide the best long-term solution. When volumes decrease, we’ll revert to our normal standard of repairs.

“We may schedule the defect for future treatment, adding the stretch of road to either our patching or resurfacing programmes.

“Where there is a high volume of non-urgent defects on a stretch of road, we will plan patching or resurfacing work rather than individual pothole repairs. This is because it’s not cost-effective to fill each pothole separately.”

Potholes and other highway defects can be reported quickly and easily using the council’s online reporting tool:  

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