Essex pledges extra £3m to repair potholes

Over 26,000 potholes were reported to the council between 2020 and 2022

Some £3m has been pledged in Essex to repair potholes.

Over 26,000 potholes were reported to Essex County Council between 2020 and 2022, according to figures from the opposition Liberal Democrat group.

Thousands of damage claims due to potholes were submitted since the start of 2021, resulting in the Tory-run council having to pay out more than £700,000.

The council's Essex Highways arm has launched its 2023-24 programme to upgrade the condition of many roads.

In December 2022, the council said filling potholes was not a priority due to the cost of living crisis.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, data showed that more than 3,000 pothole injury and damage claims were submitted to council since the start of 2021, with pay-outs of £718,288.

An Essex Highways spokesperson stated that all compensation claims were investigated fully, and damages paid if the council was liable.

Its budget for repairing and maintaining roads over the next year was more than £35m.

This did not include the £9m investment announced in February and the additional £3m.

Of the £9m, £3.46m was allocated for resurfacing, £4m for two footways schemes and £1.54m for carriageway patching.

An extra £1.2m was also allocated to Local Highway Panels for resurfacing.

Additional crews have also been put in place to support Essex Highways teams making the repairs.

'Financial challenges'

Lee Scott, cabinet member for highways maintenance and sustainable transport, said the additional investment was "a clear commitment... to ensuring damage caused by the winter is repaired and roads are maintained".

Council leader Kevin Bentley added: "We know that highways is a major issue for many and like any other councils we have significant financial challenges, including the rising cost of not only materials to repair roads, but also vital services to protect the elderly and vulnerable."

With the current funding, Essex Highways was investing less than half of the yearly budget to maintain the current state of infrastructure.

The estimated annual deterioration value in Essex was £77.7m.