New figures show potholes are being fixed within strict time limits by Lancashire County Council.
The county council is responsible for around 4,600 miles of roads and keeping them in good condition is a challenge.
Wear and tear from heavy vehicles, around 38,000 sets of work by utility companies every year, and an increasingly wet climate all have a major impact. Last year saw record rainfall levels across the UK, which resulted in all councils having far more potholes to deal with than normal.
However, following a very busy summer of repairs and preventative maintenance, the council is back on track, with the vast majority of potholes and other defects being repaired within strict time limits.
The figures for June show that 94% of highway defects which meet the threshold for repair within five, 10 and 20 days targets were repaired on time. That equates to 9,526 repairs in June alone.
The latest figures for July indicate that almost all repairs are now being made within target times. Over 93% of the most urgent issues, which have a threshold for repair within four hours or two days, are being repaired on time, with 96% of all other defects being repaired on time.
In 2024/25 the county council expects to spend around £29m on improving road surfaces, and around £25m on streetlights, bridges and other highways-related maintenance.
A key focus of this maintenance work has been to make the county’s roads more resilient, ready for the wet and cold weather we can expect again this coming winter.
The council carefully invests every penny we receive from the government to maintain Lancashire’s roads and transport infrastructure. Since 2020 an extra £20m has been spent on improving our highways on top of our allocations from Government – demonstrating that investing in our roads is a top priority for the county council.
County councillor Rupert Swarbrick said: “Our vast road network is vital to the daily life of every resident, worker and business in the county and that’s why keeping your roads safe is our top priority.
“We have invested above and beyond normal levels this year and brought in contractors to help our highways teams work at pace to keep up with the repairs caused by record rainfall levels.
“Despite this, we did struggle earlier this year to meet the very strict targets we set ourselves to repair potholes on time. The good news is that, thanks to the phenomenal efforts of our teams who have been working tirelessly to improve our roads, we’re back on track.
“Our latest figures for June and July show a much-improved picture, with the vast majority of potholes and other highway maintenance issues now being repaired within our target times.”
Highways issues can be reported at lancashire.gov.uk, or by using the ‘Love Clean Streets’ app. You can also call the customer service centre on 0300 123 6780.
