Kate Griffiths MP has launched her summer campaign to get Staffordshire roads up to scratch with a Pothole Patrol for residents to get involved with. The Member of Parliament for Burton and Uttoxeter is asking residents to go on a reporting drive to Staffordshire County Council using the authority’s easy-to-use online reporting system to raise the most offending potholes in their local area.
Fixing local and residential roads is a key responsibility for the County Council and in recent years has seen additional funding from central Government to help with this perennial issue. Kate Griffiths is also encouraging constituents to contact their county division councillor as well so they too can lobby for further fixes in their area.
Kate has previous raised Staffordshire’s highways maintenance funding figures in Parliament with the answer from the Treasury highlighting that the County Council has received a significant funding increase this year for improvements to local roads. In 2020/21 Staffordshire County Council is receiving £33.8million to maintain its roads, up from £22.9million in 2019/20. 2020/21 also includes an allocation of the Government’s £2.5 billion Pothole Fund announced at Budget 2020, to be allocated over 5 years between 2020/21 and 2024/25.
At the beginning of September Kate will also be meeting with the Chief Executive of Staffordshire County Council, John Henderson CB, and the Director of the Highways Team, Darryl Eyers. Kate is keen to use this meeting to push for further investment into roads in the eastern area of the county which she knows from residents’ correspondence is a top priority.
Kate Griffiths MP said: “The old saying ‘fix the roof while the sun is shining’ is critical to highways maintenance. Although we might not have as much sun as we would like, it is very important that local authorities make the most of the summer weather to make fixes to the public highway which cannot always be done in the colder months.
“Staffordshire County Council have seen a significant cash injection from Government to improve the state of our local roads over the last few years and I want to make sure Burton and Uttoxeter sees its fair share. I would encourage residents to get involved and use the Council’s reporting system to raise our roads up the local authority’s agenda.”
To take part in the Pothole Patrol campaign please click here - https://apps2.staffordshire.gov.uk/web/reportfault
If you are not online you can write to Kate with details of the pothole at Gothard House, 9 St. Paul’s Square, Burton on Trent, DE14 2EF.
