Cheshire East Council has released a statement to clarify the number of potholes on our roads across the borough.
On March 6th the Council hit back following reports in a national newspaper that Cheshire East Council is the worst in the UK for potholes.
New analysis by Tempcover, which was based on data from FixMyStreet.com, showed that Cheshire East Council topped the list with 17,191 open pothole reports, with the oldest reported in March 2020.
Councillor Mark Goldsmith, chair of Cheshire East Council's highways and transport committee, said: "Thankfully, Cheshire East does not have 17,197 potholes as incorrectly reported in a recent national newspaper. Instead, at the time of this article appearing, we had 550* defects. This is across a network of almost 1,680 miles (2,700kms).
"Last year, we fixed over 35,000 potholes, and the 550 represent a normal number that we could expect to be assessing."
A couple of weeks later the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey report stated that the backlog of carriageway repairs in England and Wales has reached new heights at almost £17 billion – the highest figure in 30 years of reporting.
On March 21st, in response to the ALARM report Councillor Mark Goldsmith, Chair of Cheshire East Council's Highways and Transport Committee said "It's clear our roads have taken a hammering this winter. The prolonged icy weather has caused a huge number of potholes to appear very quickly. Last week we filled 4,500* potholes to keep our roads safe and we expect to fill 60,000 this year. That compares to 37,000 last year."
*Cheshire East Council have issued the followed statement today (Wednesday, 26th March:
"To clarify, our latest statement should have read: To keep our roads safe, last month we treated almost 4,150 potholes and defects.
"The 550 figure below relates to the defects that were waiting to be assessed in the system at the time the national article appeared (which related to data from fix my street)."
Comments
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It costings people hundreds of pounds in unexpected expenditure when their tyres are damaged by potholes.
Goldsmith should be sacked. If, in the real world, an employee wilfully mis-stated a key statistic, then tried to back peddle to rewrite what they *really* meant, they would be sacked. If it was a statutory issue, they would also be prosecuted.
I witnessed only last week six operatives,two wagons and one spade to fill one pothole.
The roads are appallingly maintained, the repairs that do take place aren't even good enough to be called substandard and travelling by car or bike has become extremely dangerous.
Cheshire East can throw around as many statistics and excuses as they like. The fact remains that the roads have been completely neglected whilst council tax is at an all time high.
Then, maybe, we could boost our economy by inviting the Tour de France to traverse through Wilmslow on their way down from Edinburgh?
I’m also convinced that there are different solutions when it comes to a fill.
It’s not a subject I know much about, other than being on the receiving end. I have noted here before that other councils maintain their roads far better than CEC does.
CEC is unaccountable and it’s about time it gets sorted out.
If people just shrug and think "the roads are terrible these days" hoping other people will report problems nothng will ever be done since the council are hardly expected to drive round each and every road counting holes .. so it's partly up to residents.
https://fixmystreet.cheshireeast.gov.uk/
Our council doesn't maintain road properly, they use shoddy workmen employing shoddy solutions whilst allowing anyone to dig up a road and not put it back to it's prior condition.
The go on an anti-car/anti-SUV rant serves an agenda that isn't anything to do with the roads condition. Sorry.
Have a walk down Gravel Lane it’s in your ward
Just count the number of pothole then compare it with what you state is the number of potholes down all the roads in Cheshire East I suggest you count the potholes in YOUR ward
Oh I suppose you have left several “0” off your estimated total
Stop defending Cheshire East and coming up with excuses or blaming other people
Instead tell the truth you have made a mess off things and tell people how you intend to rectify the decline in Cheshire East
So we are being told the truth!
Maybe we should look at one the causes. Wilmslow has become over populated and the area is a constant building site, with planning permission easily given to greedy developers by greedy councils. Absolutely no thought for the crumbling infrastructure, road traffic and access points. There are two more big developments in the pipeline. They,ll get permission…. thousands more people, cars, and big trucks for another two years , all hammering roads built for horses and carts over 100 years ago, never improved, and over used.
Then, maybe, we could boost our economy by inviting the Tour de France to traverse through Wilmslow on their way down from Edinburgh?
Don’t expect anything to get better after Trump’s tariff announcements today.
https://www.ringway-jacobs.co.uk/about
Then scroll down a bit until you reach the part about CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL HIGHWAYS.
According to the blurb by RINGWAY JACOBS they are 'contracted' to Cheshire East to 'deliver safe, efficient and innovative highway services and award-winning infrastructure projects across the borough.'
Does this include ignoring our award-winning potholes then? Or have they not yet perfected an award-winning pothole repair procedure?
Can someone from the highways department of CEC explain what Ringway Jacobs is supposed to do with our money they hand over regarding highway repairs?
Have a look through the rest of their self-adulating website and see if you get the same feeling that I have in that we are all being taken for a ride [down a road full of potholes] when it comes to what we get for our money!