Extra cash to fix potholes

The potholes which have not been repaired

Labour is to spend an extra £1 million this year fixing potholes.

The party has announced plans to spend the cash to repair the borough's roads and pavements as part of its local election manifesto for the council poll on 5 May.

Councillor Jacqui Beswick, cabinet member for highways, said: "One of the hottest topics on the doorstep is the poor state of the roads. It's a huge national problem with the AA estimating the national backlog of road repairs running into billions of pounds.

"The poor state of our roads is a result of years of underinvestment. But our local Labour council is determined to start to do something about it. It has not been easy faced with swingeing £200million of cuts imposed on the council by central government.

"We have searched hard for extra savings, rooted out efficiencies and sold off surplus assets to raise the cash. We are also bidding for special funds from Whitehall.

"The extra million will be used exclusively for repairing potholes. I know this is a priority for residents. It's also a priority for Labour. It won't fix the whole problem but it will make a significant difference in improving the poor state of many roads.

"Potholes in roads and pavements are a danger to motorists and pedestrians alike. Repairing them will make our streets safer and will save money in the long run by reducing damages claims against the council."

The £1 million is in addition the £4 million the council is already planning to spend on repairing roads and pavements this year.