Roads boss has 'nightmares about potholes'

A Kent council cabinet member said he has "nightmares about potholes" as it aims to invest millions into fixing the problem.

Kent County Council says it wants to invest £67m into roads in the region, including quick repairs on potholes and preventative measures to stop new issues from appearing.

Speaking in Herne Bay this afternoon, Peter Osborne - who is responsible for highways and transport - said potholes in Kent would be fixed in order of priority, having previously claimed the council had repaired more than 12,000 potholes.

He said: "I have nightmares about potholes. We have all driven over them and I want them fixed."

As part of the multi-million pound investment, the Reform-run council says £25m would be used on renewing and reconstructing roads, while £14m would also be sought from the Department for Transport to fund a dedicated pothole patching programme.

In March, the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey found that fixing the backlog of repairs on roads in the South East would cost about £2.5bn.

Mike Sole, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group in Kent County Council, said residents want to "see those potholes being repaired with their own eyes".

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "We are delivering record investment to end the pothole plague, which is why Kent County Council will receive more than £50 million to fix its roads this year.

"This is alongside the Government's investment of £24 billion in future funding to maintain and improve motorways and local roads across the country."

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