Changes to the way pothole repairs are dealt with including making councils prove they are doing more have been welcomed in York.
New reporting requirements mean councils will have to demonstrate how well they are doing repairs to avoid short-term patching and returning to the same stretch of roads.
Cllr Kate Ravilious, York Council’s Labour transport spokesperson, said they were prioritising works which prolonged road lifespans by 10 years or more and prevented new potholes from forming.
Council environment lead Dave Atkinson said they were committed to explaining to residents how repairs were going as works on this year’s road maintenance plan continues.
It comes after the Government unveiled requirements for councils in England to report on how well road repairs are going in their areas by September.
Funding worth £7.3bn has been given to councils for long-term road repairs, including efforts to tackle potholes.
It follows new traffic light ratings launched earlier this year which grades local authorities based on how well they are doing with road repairs.
Councils performing best are rated as green with those doing worst rated red.
York Council’s rating is amber which it said is in line with most other local authorities in England.
There is a £102 million backlog in road repairs in York, according to council figures published earlier this year.
Councils which do not follow the new guidance or fail to report repairs are set to have almost a third of their Government highways maintenance funding for this year docked.
Pothole repairs cost the average driver around £500 in avoidable repairs, according to Department for Transport (DfT) estimates.
Roads Minister Simon Lightwood said motorists had been incensed by short-term work being prioritised over genuine repairs for too long.
The minister said: “For the first time not only will councils need to show just how many potholes they are filling in, but what they are doing to avoid going back to fix the same pothole time and again – something which understandably infuriates drivers.
“This is backed by a record £7.3bn investment to help councils deliver the long-term road repairs motorists deserve.”
Council Transport Executive Member Cllr Ravilious said it was good to see that the approach taken in York was now Government policy and came with much-needed investment.
Cllr Ravilious said: “This year we have had a 50 per cent budget uplift investing a record £16.5 million in York’s highways, allowing us to do much more to make improvements and tackle the maintenance backlog built up during austerity.”
Council Director of Environment and Regulatory Services Mr Atkinson said their work on road repairs was set to continue with upcoming visits to the A59, Wheldrake, Haxby and Huntington.
The official said: “We’re getting on with delivering our comprehensive highways maintenance plan with significantly more money invested in York’s roads compared to previous years, helping to ensure smoother journeys across the city.
“In recent weeks we’ve been working from Bishopthorpe to Stockton on the Forest and lots of places in between.
“In line with the Government’s push for transparency, we have a real commitment to explain to communities how the plan is progressing.
“We will be working with the DfT on our return during the summer and the results will be published in the autumn.”
