‘The council’s advice is clear. If there is a dangerous pothole, report it officially.’
A pothole on a residential street (stock image)(Image: ScunthorpeLive/Donna Clifford)
An East Yorkshire MP has taken on his residents’ concerns over potholes to East Riding Council. Graham Stuart, who represents Beverley and Holderness in Parliament, has also set up a survey for residents to share their pothole-related concerns.
Mr Stuart met with Cllr Paul West, East Riding Council’s cabinet member for Environment and Transport, and senior highways officers to raise concerns sent in through his potholes survey and hear how the council is handling repairs.
The council explained that the East Riding has a large rural road network to maintain, much of it carrying heavier traffic than it was built for. Winter weather has also caused serious damage, with water getting into cracks, freezing and breaking up the road surface.
The Conservative Party MP says residents have raised concerns about specific roads in the region. These include village roads in Aldbrough and Sproatley, routes around Hedon, Patrington, Withernsea, Sunk Island and Ottringham, and rural lanes connecting villages such as Lelley, Humbleton, Welwick and Walkington.
Mr Stuart said: “Potholes are not a joke. They damage people’s cars, make roads more dangerous for cyclists and motorcyclists, and can increase the risk of accidents if drivers are forced to swerve around them.
“I have taken residents’ concerns directly to East Riding Council and asked what is being done about the roads people have named through my survey. I am campaigning for motorists in Beverley and Holderness because driving is not a luxury in a rural constituency like ours. It is how people get to work, take children to school, run farms, keep businesses moving and stay connected to local services.
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“The council has a huge rural road network to maintain, and it is doing so despite a real-terms cut in funding from central government. But people in Beverley and Holderness work hard, pay their council tax and expect a reasonable service in return.
“The council’s advice is clear. If there is a dangerous pothole, report it officially. If you do not report it, you cannot assume the council knows about it or that anything will be done. Then tell me too. I will pass named roads and locations to the council, ask for updates, and press for answers on where they sit in the repair or resurfacing programme. People do not expect every road to be resurfaced overnight. But they do expect to know that when they report a problem, it means something.”
In January, the Government ranked councils’ pothole-fixing record on a traffic light scale. East Riding Council received an ‘amber’, as did Hull City Council. East Riding Council was offered the chance to comment on Mr Stuart’s words and survey.
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