Pothole hotspots in Sutton are set for repair, promise council chiefs

Complaints have increased since the turn of the year about the state of road surfaces in the town, with three in particular – High Pavement, Hamilton Road and Priestsic Road – making most blacklists.

Now, Nottinghamshire County Council, which is responsible for highways maintenance, has announced plans for all three roads.

Gary Wood, head of highways and transport, said: “We are aware of surface deterioration on these three roads, particularly with recent weather conditions having an adverse impact on their condition.

"We have a number of repairs to potholes planned on High Pavement, and our inspectors will also be visiting Hamilton Road and Priestsic Road to ensure any defects are made safe or booked in for repair as appropriate.

"All of these sites are under consideration for future resurfacing or surface improvement schemes. We will assess their priority alongside other sites in the county.”

Mr Wood reiterated that the council is to invest an extra £15 million in pothole repairs over the next three years.

And he also stressed how a new ‘right first time’ approach to repairs is to be adopted, delivering long-term permanent work, rather than short-term fixes.

However, the Ashfield Independents on the county council, remain unhappy after their plan to “fix our broken roads” was swept aside at last week’s 2022/23 budget meeting at County Hall.

They wanted to scrap the spending of £15 million on new council offices at Top Wighay Farm in Hucknall, and plough the money instead into pothole repairs. However, the plan was voted out by the ruling Conservatives group.

Coun Lee Waters, an Ashfield Independent who proposed the budget amendment, said: “Ask anybody in our county whether they want the Tories to build posh new offices for their senior staff, or spend our council tax on fixing broken roads and pavements. We all know the answer.

"We had a fully costed plan that would have delivered exactly what residents want. We could have shown the public the county council actually listens.”

However, the council leader, Coun Ben Bradley, who is also Mansfield’s MP, said: “Our plan will double the capacity to deliver better-quality, long-term repairs.

“It’s a proper, thought-out plan, not just shifting budgets around a spreadsheet.”

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