Potholes targeted under new road repair system

A new contractor has been approved to cover the maintenance of roads in Herefordshire - a move among others that would both allow the county to "take back control" and better address potholes, according to the council.

The new contractor to replace Balfour Beatty, the authority added, would be paid pre-agreed rates for each task, with about 60 roles passing to the council directly, including network management and inspections, fleet management and customer services,

Councillor Dan Hurcomb told cabinet members at a recent meeting, the switch would move the council away from a "highly outsourced model".

The new provider is set to be named in January ahead of the contract beginning in the summer.

During the proceedings, councillor Carole Gandy said that "for many people, public realm means potholes", and asked how the new arrangement would impact on fixing these.

In response, Hurcomb sought to assure cabinet that having council staff in charge of inspections would "avoid repeat visits to a location", with repairs carried out on a per-pothole basis, incentivising the contractor to work more efficiently.

As a result of changes, it was suggested communities would have more control over local services, with town and parish councils being given the chance to commission extra services tailored to their needs.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.