Cash boost to tackle potholes
An extra £2million will be spent tackling potholes on Dudley borough roads as highways repairs continue to soar to record levels.
The investment in the highways budget has been approved which will help crews tackle more defects on residential roads.
The council inspects and repairs hundreds of miles of roads every year. It also responds to reports of potholes made by the public via the website.
More than 57,834 square metres of roads have been repaired so far this financial year (2021/22) thanks to an extra £1million in the council’s budget at the start of the year. The huge figure dwarfs the 9,957 square metres of repairs the previous financial year (2020/21).
The post April spend, approved by full council, will inject £1 million in the next financial year, with £500,000 to be set aside for each of the two subsequent years.
Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for public realm, said:
“We have showed what the extra investment in our highways budget can achieve with a massive increase in the number of defects we have managed to repair this year.
“I am delighted the latest spending pledge has been approved which means even more money into the budget and the potential to tackle more defects on residential roads.
“Residents have told us that this is important to them and we have listened.”
The total budget for highways will be £8.2million.
People can report potholes via the council’s website at www.dudley.gov.uk or by calling Dudley Council Plus on 0300 555 2345.