Pothole repair fund to climb to £2m

Councillor Neil Emmott and Councillor Susan Smith

Twice as much money is being spent repairing potholes this year, after the council approved a £2m spend, up from £1m last year.

The cash means engineers can start putting together a hit list of the borough’s worst roads, with work due to start on site within weeks.

The work will be in addition to day-to-day pothole repairs, which are routinely carried out on the most severe potholes across the townships, after being flagged up by highways inspectors and residents.

It also complements the £2.2m capital investment programme, which will help pay for major resurfacing schemes, including on Windermere Road in Middleton, which will be targeted in the next few weeks, and Halifax Road, from Townhead junction to Entwisle Road, which is expected to be fixed during the school summer holidays.

The total spend on highways over the year will be £4.2m, with the team also organising bridge and wall repairs, gully cleaning and improved drainage, as well as reconstructing damaged paths.

Councillor Neil Emmott, cabinet member for Highways and Environment at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Last year’s £1m pothole fund enabled us to fix 40,000 square metres of road across 232 streets, making a huge difference for our residents.

“We’ve taken the bold step of doubling this fund for 2017/18, so we can build on this success and make an even bigger impact this time round.”