‘We need proper funding for our highways and structures...’

Leaders have defended their performance after Staffordshire County Council was named the slowest local authority in the country for repairing potholes - with Stoke-on-Trent City Council the third worst. Dave Knapper reports

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MOTORISTS in North Staffordshire have been facing the longest waits in the UK for potholes to be fixed.

But leaders have defended the efforts to repair the county’s roads. An investigation into waits for pothole repairs has Staffordshire County Council as the country's slowest local authority, with an average of 209.6 days to fix a pothole between 2022 and 2024.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council was third-worst on 71, with Coventry City Council second on 82.3.

The statistics were revealed after comparison site Go.Compare submitted a Freedom of Information request to 171 councils.

The figures prompted ward councillors in Stoke-on-Trent to show examples of craters that had been fixed or were still waiting to be filled in. Meanwhile the county council has said it prioritises potholes on the severity - and repeated calls for more Government cash.

County council cabinet member Peter Mason said: “We have one of the largest highways networks in the UK covering nearly 4,000 miles. Our potholes are prioritised according to their severity, and those deemed the worst are repaired on time within 24 hours.

“We are aware there is a backlog of other, less serious potholes that need addressing - these are the ones that are annoying to drive round and frustrate our residents on a daily basis. This is why this week we have announced an extra £15 million over the next two years to reduce this backlog of less-urgent potholes and make our highways better for residents.

“A key element of this is being more efficient and effective with the money we have to make sure we can repair more of our roads.