Funding to target potholes not enough says leading councillor

EARLIER this year the government announced national extra funding to help deal with the problems caused to roads by the extraordinarily wet winter weather.

Thurrock received £211,468 in March’s “Weather Repair Fund” and new the government has announced a further £258, 594 in a “Pothole Fund” which both it and Thurrock Council estimate will help fill around 4,000 potholes.

Cllr Andy Smith, the portfolio holder for transport said: “While this extra £470,000 is useful and welcome, it is nowhere near enough to fix all our road-based problems.”

He said: “Back in February we had a cabinet report which explained an additional £40 million over five years was needed to make sure Thurrock’s roads were brought up to a condition where the minimum amount of maintenance in needed and overall £72 million was needed.

“Overall, it means the council will have received £1,612,000 in grant funding for roads this year.”

Cllr Smith explained, the weather money, over £200,000, was spent mainly in the east of the borough bringing six of the worst stretches of road up to the standard that should mean they won’t need fixing immediately.

“The problem with simply filling potholes is that it is never-ending work. The pothole will almost certainly re-appear next year and quite probably before that.

“We’re looking carefully at where to spend this latest £¼ million and will publish details later.

Details of the March funding are available on the council’s website and below:

A1014 Manorway Gate 2 Corringham Surface damage, stripping, potholes

A1014 Manorway Bridge Deck Stanford-le-Hope Surface stripping, potholes

A1014 Manorway opposite Collins Close Stanford-le-Hope Pumping sub-base, depression

St Margaret’s Avenue estate Stanford-le-Hope Surface damage, stripping, potholes

Mucking Wharf Road Stanford-le-Hope Surface damage, stripping, potholes

A1089 Ferry Road Tilbury Surface damage, stripping, potholes