‘Unacceptable’: One in four York roads is in need of repair

Nearly one in four roads in York is in need of repair, according to the latest research.

City of York Council figures show the number of roads in need of maintenance work has increased every year since 2016.

The figures show that 24 per cent of B and C roads in the city need repairs, while 10 per cent of A roads need work – double the number that needed mending in 2016.

Labour group leader Cllr Danny Myers said the speed of deterioration during the past four years is “unacceptable” and that the condition of the roads is important to residents. He added:

• Almost one in every four streets where people live is now unfit.

  The funding situation is not easy, but it comes down to making the right choices.

  The Liberal Democrats’ choice has been to fail to adequately address something that is always a high priority for residents, which will be a serious worry for the public now the Lib Dems are running the council again.

  Labour proposed an extra £1m per year into road repairs in February, to bring our roads back up to standard, but Lib Dems voted this down.
  

Significantly underfunded

But Lib Dem councillor Stephen Fenton said improving the condition of York’s roads, footpaths and cycle lanes is a priority and investing in highway repairs will be part of a new budget to be outlined this month.

He said:

• Of course, more investment is needed to improve our highways, particularly in the aftermath of adverse weather conditions such as the Beast from the East, but our region’s transport infrastructure continues to be significantly underfunded by the Government.

  For example, spending on transport in London is almost five times higher, per capita, than in Yorkshire and the Humber – the lowest of all English regions.

  It is somewhat surprising to see the Labour group claim that the ‘right choices’ are not being made, when it was Lib Dem councillors that increased investment in the city’s highways – £7 million more than the previous Labour administration.
  

He said the group will push for more funding for fixing the city’s roads.

James Gilchrist, the council’s assistant director of highways, said: “The council recognises that like most authorities the outstanding maintenance is significant.

“As part of the 2019/20 budget members approved an additional £11 million investment into highways over the next four years, including £3.5m extra for 2019/20.

“We spend money based on industry and Department for Transport advice to ensure both reactive and proactive repairs and prioritise the repair based on the condition of the road and the levels of usage the road receives.”

500 per cent hike

In February it wasa revealed that the number of potholes in York reported by residents increased by nearly 500 per cent in the spring of 2018.

The council has also confirmed that it aims to fix the worst potholes within 24 hours.

A council meeting in June heard that the need for road repairs is an “unavoidable issue” across the city and there is a need for “deep dive repairs” to fix road surfaces, rather than just potholes.