Road repairs quadruple in a year across Dudley
Dudley Council bosses have been forced to pledge another £1 million boost to blitz potholes after road repairs quadrupled in a year.
More than 44,000 square metres of roads have been repaired so far this financial year (2021/22) thanks to an extra £1m in the council’s budget at the start of the year.
The huge figure dwarfs the 9,957 square metres of repairs the previous financial year.
Highways bosses have pledged another £1m as part of the budget proposals, which if approved by councillors in March, will see the central pot grow again from April this year.
If approved, the total budget will be £8.3m, the same as last financial year – far greater than the £7.2m invested the previous 12 months (2020/21).
Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member responsible for highways, said: "We are investing more in our roads and tackling more potholes and defects than ever before. The extra money we have invested has helped create an extra eight crews identifying and tackling road defects which has had a huge impact.
"People have told us this is important to them and we have acted on that information."
She added: "We have to make sure we keep on top of the continuous battle with road defects and that means continued investment."
This year the council plans to spend £8.3m repairing the roads of the borough. That is the highest figure spent in the past five years – £7.2m in 2020/21, £5.4m in 2019/20, £7.7m in 2018/19 and £7.3m in 2017/18.
Extra crews are also out and about spotting and repairing defects in the road.
