MP writes to Council Chief Exec over state of local roads

In his letter, Richard Foord highlighted specific concerns about the road between Honiton and Dunkeswell and Black Cat junction on the A396. Both are riddled with potholes, putting both drivers and pedestrians at risk.

Despite the overall number of potholes reported falling last year, in the first 20 days of January this year Devon County Council recorded more potholes than in the whole of January 2022.

Motorists have had to endure a number of long diversions due to potholes and road defects in recent weeks. These have caused huge disruption for both communities and local people, who often have little warning of when these closures will take place.

The Council is also forced to settle hundreds of compensation claims every year for damage caused by potholes, with over £430,000 of taxpayers’ money being paid out over the past three years.

Highlighting the recent announcement of extra funding to tackle potholes, Richard Foord has asked the Chief Executive of Devon County Council to assess the adequacy of that funding to bring the road network up to a safe standard and for more information on what steps the Council is taking to speed up pothole repairs.

Commenting on the situation, Tiverton & Honiton MP Richard Foord said:

“Everyone who uses our roads knows just how dangerous they are because of potholes and even sinkholes. Many people have contacted me complaining about the scale of the problem and the damage it has caused to their vehicles.

“Wear and tear is to be expected but it’s clear that, for some roads, work to fix this damage is not happening quickly enough. With over £400,000 being paid out in compensation over recent years, this is a serious issue.

“The poor state of our roads not only affect drivers, but also pedestrians and cyclists who are put at risk by swerving vehicles. We need to see clear leadership and a plan to properly repair our roads.

“With the announcement of extra funding targeted at tackling potholes, the Devon County Council must now clearly communicate how they plan to use this funding to keep roads across Devon safe and how they can speed up essential maintenance work.

“I urge everyone to report any potholes they encounter, so the Council can see the true scale of the issue and get repair work underway quickly.”