Change to pot hole priority

But councillors say this will not mean an urban/rural disparity.

The cabinet met on Thursday to discuss a report into fixing potholes and voted to adopt a risk based approach to repairs.

Last year the council was second of 104 other local highway authorities for overall satisfaction with highways and transport.

It says that it received £1.5 million a year in government funding to spend on the highway, £1.49 per metre of road.

But the report says that one pot hole costs an average of £120 to report.

Councillor Angela McClements said there was currently no distinction between a 40mm pothole on a highly-trafficked, high-speed road and a 40mm pothole on a lane – both currently have to be repaired within the same timescales even though it is clear that there is higher risk to road users on the high speed road.

However she said: "This does not mean there will be an urban rural split. The higher risk repairs will take priority wherever they are."

The cabinet report said: "By adopting a risk-based approach the safety inspector determines the implications of all defects and sets an appropriate repair timescale. As a result higher risk repairs can be completed quickly and, where risk analysis allows, low risk reactive repairs may, where appropriate due to their low risk status, be able to become part of a planned programme of highway capital works that is due to be undertaken.”

The report says there will be no change to the speed with which teams go out to assess the severity of a pothole. It adds: “By allowing inspectors to use their professional expertise and judgement to assess defects, repair decisions can be based on the actual risk that the defect presents as well as looking at the impact of any defect on the wider ‘liveability agenda’. This approach means that resources can be directed in a timely manner where they are most needed in order to manage that risk.”