'I've counted 150 potholes in 200 yards'

A man living in the Stroud valleys says he has counted more than 150 potholes on a 200-yard (182m) stretch of road in his village.

Pat Swift claims rural roads in his village of Minchinhampton and nearby Burleigh and Avening have deteriorated so much they pose a serious safety risk to drivers, cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders.

It comes after the long spell of wet weather led to an increase in potholes on roads across Gloucestershire.

Gloucestershire County Council said it was committed to improving roads and added that it had carried out more than 56,000 minor road repairs this financial year.

Swift said potholes on Well Hill in Minchinhampton have inflicted damage on his car, namely his wheels and suspension components.

"[Highways] come out and repair a few [potholes] and ignore all the others around it, which is very frustrating," he said.

"Only yesterday they came out and marked half a dozen holes and they've left 20 more that could be repaired right next to them."

He said the state of the road on a double bend meant vehicles were being driven on the right hand side, posing a risk to other vehicles, walkers, horses, and cows.

Cotswold District councillor Tony Slater said he had been reporting potholes in the area for 20 years but this year had "been the worst for many, many years".

"There's more potholes than road in many areas," he added.

Issues with potholes typically worsen in winter when tiny cracks in the road surface – usually caused by traffic – allow water to seep in.

When that freezes, it expands and makes the cracks bigger. This is then exacerbated by further traffic, which can turn a crack into a hole.

Slater said residents have shared their pothole experiences with him, which he then sends to the council's highways manager but added that "unfortunately she can only do so much".

"Ultimately it's down to the government to give councils sufficient money to keep their roads in a reasonable state," he said.

Joe Harris, cabinet member for highways at the council, said he was "very grateful" to residents who have reported potholes.

"Our highways teams are working flat out right now, dealing with the impact of the winter weather, please bear with us while we fix the most urgent cases.

"So far this financial year, we've carried out more than 56,000 minor road repairs – most of them potholes. We act quickly to fix the biggest potholes."

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "Historic underinvestment has made it difficult for authorities to maintain their roads, and the average driver forks out nearly £320 to repair serious pothole damage."

They added that the South West would receive £1.5bn in funding over the next four years to help deal with potholes.

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