Record number of potholes fixed by council

A "record number" of potholes have been repaired by a council "after one of the most challenging winters in recent years," it has revealed.

Hertfordshire County Council said 16,453 potholes were fixed between January and the end of May.

It said highways crews also carried out 34 gritting runs, covering about 52,817 miles (85,000km).

It was due to "a period of highly changeable weather, with cold temperatures, persistent rainfall and repeated freeze-thaw conditions," it said.

In March, the council was ordered by a judge to fill potholes in three roads after driver Derek Bennett took legal action.

He said the roads in Berkhamsted and Hemel Hempstead were in "dire condition" and he used highways legislation to make the authority fix them.

"This combination of water ingress and freezing temperatures is widely recognised as a key cause of potholes, with water entering cracks, freezing, expanding and weakening the road structure," the council said.

Liberal Democrat councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst, executive member for highways at the council, said: "This winter was a tough test, with prolonged wet and cold conditions putting real pressure on our road network.

"As a new administration going through our first full winter season, we've learned important lessons about how we respond to severe and changeable weather.

"We are already using those insights to strengthen our approach, improve resilience and ensure we are even better prepared for future winters."

The council asked residents to continue to report potholes and road defects via its website "to help teams respond quickly and effectively".

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