SOUTH Gloucestershire Council has been given an amber rating by the government in a new national breakdown of which authorities are fixing potholes effectively.
The Department for Transport has produced a map and a breakdown, showing which councils are doing the best job and which need to make improvements, with the top performers given green ratings and the worst red.
South Gloucestershire has been given an amber rating for the condition of its roads, best practice in tackling potholes and overall, with a green rating for how much it is spending on maintenance.
Neighbouring Bristol and B&NES also have amber ratings, although Gloucestershire has a green rating overall.
The government says it has given
£1.5 billion to councils in the South West form its Pothole Fund to be used on fixing roads and invest in long-term maintenance measures.
It says the best green-rated councils were able to demonstrate they are investing in long-term preventative measures rather than just patching up potholes, while also maintaining good road conditions and “investing significantly” into road improvements.
Amber-rated showed some room for improvement, while those rated ‘red’ are not meeting the expected standards.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “For too long drivers in the South West have paid the price because our roads were left to deteriorate. We’ve put our money where our mouth is, increasing the funding in the South West with £1.5 billion to fix roads, and giving local highway authorities the long-term certainty they have been asking for.
“Now it’s over to them to spend the money wisely, and for the first time we are making sure the public can see how well local highway authorities are doing in delivering the improvements they want to see in their local area.”
South Gloucestershire Council says it has seen a 38% reduction in pothole reports year-on-year and has taken on extra road maintenance crews with its Pothole Fund money.
A spokesperson said: “We undertake a significant programme of work to maintain and improve our local roads, and we are pleased the rating reflects the positive steps we have taken to prioritise safety and deliver value for money for our residents.
“Over the last five years we have more than doubled the number of potholes being filled, but we recognise there is always room for improvement.
“We are currently working through our £2.4 million pothole fund programme, which consists of patching and resurfacing works and will improve the condition of sections of the network that are most in need of attention.”