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Highways bosses say pothole repairs are 'back on track' in Lancashire

Damage to South Road in Morecambe, pictured earlier this year

County highways bosses say that pothole repairs are "back on track".

Figures for June show that 94 per cent of highway defects which meet the threshold for repair within five, 10 and 20 days targets were repaired on time, equating to 9,526 repairs in June alone, said Lancashire County Council.

They said the latest figures for July indicate that almost all repairs are now being made within target times.

Over 93 per cent of the most urgent issues, which have a threshold for repair within four hours or two days, are being repaired on time, with 96 per cent of all other defects being repaired on time.

In January, residents hit out at the "absolutely disgusting" state of roads around the Lancaster and Morecambe district saying they are in "the worst condition for years".

Beyond Radio was inundated with comments about the "appalling" quality of many roads around the area due to potholes and other issues.

Read more: PHOTOS: Anger at shocking state of Lancaster and Morecambe roads in "worst condition for years" - Beyond Radio

The county council said they expected to spend around £29m on improving road surfaces, and around £25m on streetlights, bridges and other highways-related maintenance, in 2024/25.

Bare Lane in Morecambe is pictured below on Monday during road resurfacing work.

"The county council is responsible for around 4,600 miles of roads and keeping them in good condition is a challenge," said a spokesperson.

"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, including Lancashire, 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.

"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, cabinet member for highways and transport 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.

"We wouldn't have been able to do this without the public's help and I would encourage people to continue to report potholes or any other safety issues using the Love Clean Streets app, via our website, or by calling our customer service centre."

You can report highways issues HERE, or using your phone while you're on-the-go via the ‘Love Clean Streets’ app which you can download on the Apple Store or the Google Play Store. You can also call our customer service centre on 0300 123 6780.

The general election candidates for Morecambe and Lunesdale spoke about the state of the roads during our live radio debate in June.

Read more: GENERAL ELECTION: Candidates speak out on potholes and shocking state of roads in Morecambe & Lunesdale - Beyond Radio

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