Council deputy leader pledges 'roads and pavements' budget will tackle potholes in Northumberland

A difficult winter weather-wise has left many roads in dire need of repair. Northumberland County Council’s budget, set to be voted on next week, includes £36m to maintain them.

Extra funding has also been set aside for repairs to smaller U and C class roads in rural areas. Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, February 13, deputy leader Richard Wearmouth described the budget as a “roads and pavements” budget.

He added: “This is a bread and butter budget because we are putting so much into fixing the things that matter to our residents.”

Cllr John Riddle, the cabinet member responsible for highways, said; “I am delighted that the cabinet will approve all this extra money for roads. We have 3,000 miles of roads and a lot of those are rural and U and C class.

“We are very confident we will get on top and improve our roads once and for all with a much better standard of repairs.”

It comes after council leader Glen Sanderson pledged to win the “battle” against potholes. Speaking at the cabinet meeting, Cllr Sanderson reiterated his determination.

He said: “We have found this extra money that we will give to our frontline teams for repairs that are needed following the terrible weather that we have had.

"We just ask people to bear with us while we get over this weather, then we will have the conditions to do these repairs and make them properly so that they will last for a long time to come.”