Call for Gloucestershire's roads to be declared an emergency

Paul Hodgkinson is concerned about the state of the roads, including this stretch between Northleach and Compton Abdale

A county's roads are "in the worst state they have ever been" according to a councillor who is calling for the issue to be treated as an emergency.

Gloucestershire County Councillor Paul Hodgkinson said his inbox is full of complaints about poor roads.

"In my division [in the Cotswolds] it is not just lanes full of potholes, some A-roads are also unsafe," he said.

A council spokesperson said road safety is a priority and more than 30 teams are working on the network every day.

'Roads emergency'

But opposition councillor, Mr Hodgkinson, said it is time the council treated the issue as an emergency, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. 

"Drivers are swerving to avoid the very bad surfaces and this is dangerous for all concerned," he said.

"In one case, the road between Compton Abdale and Northleach is so bad that part of the road has collapsed. Yet still we wait for a firm timetable for repairs to be carried out.

"The cost to drivers of damaged tyres and suspension is outrageous. That's why this is now a roads emergency which the council must address urgently."

Gloucestershire Council has teams out every day trying to fix potholes in the county

Gloucestershire County Council said its highways teams fix high priority safety issues within one working day and other safety defects within 28 days, in line with national standards.

It said that this is part of an extensive road resurfacing programme, with an additional £100m Government investment into Gloucestershire's roads.

During April they filled almost 5,000 potholes, it said.

Anyone who spots an issue but hasn't yet reported it, is asked to use the council's 'Report It' service.