Swift action is needed to tackle the problem of potholes brought on by this winter’s sever weather.
That’s the call from Lib Dem group leader John Shaw as he estimated there are more than 8,000 potholes currently in the borough.
He also criticised the county council of ‘skimping on roads’ and has urged action from Hampshire bosses.
He said: “Years of under investment has meant that roads in Hampshire are particularly vulnerable to pot holes.
“While the recent bad weather has made things worse, that is a symptom rather than the root of the problem.
“Lib Dem councillors have done a quick survey in their wards and reported around 250 potholes and similar issues such as cracked road surfaces.
“It is estimated that Hampshire county council is responsible for 5,280 miles of road, with a pothole every 120 yards.
“That’s over 77,000 potholes – probably around 8,000 of them are in Basingstoke and Deane.
“Some potholes are so large they could damage car tyres and could result in motorbikes losing control.
“Skimping on roads is a false economy – we all end up paying more in car repairs, insurance claims and the cost of accidents.”
Councillor Mel Kendal, Executive Member for Environment at Hampshire county council, said a decrease in central Government funding had lead to difficult decisions.
He said: “As many people will be aware, in the past year we allocated a further £2million specifically to address the problem of road defects and potholes.
“The adverse weather experienced in December and January was undeniably damaging to our roads and the cost to repair that damage is likely to run into many millions of pounds.
“The weather has left defects all over the county, and the length of time it takes to permanently repair each one will depend on the size and location of the pothole.
“I refute the suggestion that we have been ‘skimping on roads’.
“We do not have limitless resources so it is important that we prioritise the work to be done.
“It is not just Basingstoke that has experienced a gradual reduction in funding.
“Government funding for highways and transport in Hampshire has been reduced for a number of years and we have had to make some difficult decisions.”
