'Perfect pothole weather' blamed for road issues

Somerset Council said up to 800 potholes are reported to it every week

The leader of Somerset Council says the county's roads have been a victim of "perfect pothole weather".

Speaking during a Hotseat interview on BBC Radio Somerset, Bill Revans said recent weather was partly to blame for the state of the road surfaces which he admitted were "far from ideal."

The Liberal Democrat council leader said it gets 600-800 reports of potholes every week, and fixed 24,000 last year.

Mr Revans asked local residents to report potholes online, adding "we can only fix what we know about".

"It's a difficult situation when you see very cold, followed by very wet, followed by very cold - that is the weather conditions that create potholes and we are seeing more weather patterns like that," said Mr Revans.

He said when a pothole is reported on the council website an inspector will look at that report within three days and repairs should be completed within a maximum of 28 days.

Mr Revans said he didn't think "any council in the country is on top of their pothole situation" but that the government had given Somerset Council an extra £12m to spend on road surfacing - on top of £30m already allocated in the council budget.

Bill Revans has been the Liberal Democrat leader of Somerset Council since 2023

Meanwhile, Mr Revans said he would look into problems with uneven paving in Bridgwater town centre, after they were raised by BBC Radio Somerset listener Evelyn.

She said lifted paving stones re causing a trip hazard, particularly on Fore Street and near the bus station

"I had a look at the paving block situation around the Admiral Blake statue not that long ago - I agree it's not good enough," said Mr Revans.

He added that the council is trying to limit the volume of roadworks and pavement repairs in Bridgwater town centre, with the installation of the Celebration Mile route ongoing.

'Passionate' about recycling

Mr Revans also responded to a question from Richard in Wedmore about the future of Cheddar recycling centre, one of five earmarked for closure.

There's "no guarantee" that any will be saved, but Mr Revans said the authority is trying to negotiate with its contractors to keep all 16 in the county open.

"We are passionate about keeping our recycling centres open," he said.