It may not come as a surprise to Bolton motorists, but the borough is one of the worst areas in England and Wales for potholes.
New research has revealed the top 10 areas in England and Wales which recorded the highest number of potholes in 2022 and Bolton came seventh, with 6,887 potholes reported, which is equivalent to 11.08 potholes per mile.
It comes as motoring experts at Bill Plant Driving School submitted a Freedom of Information request to all local authorities in England and Wales, asking for the total number of potholes reported in 2022.
One road that has been notoriously bad for a number of years is Armadale Road on the Ladybridge estate.
Cllr Andy Morgan, who represents Heaton and Lostock, says he isn’t “surprised” at Bolton coming seventh, with the number of reports that come through concerning potholes.
He said: “I am really not surprised that Bolton has come seventh, with the amount of reports that come through the system, and the ones we deal with as ward councillors.”
Funding has since been secured to fix the potholes on Armadale Road after they continued to ‘deteriorate’ for the past few years.
Cllr Morgan added: “The age of the road has brought it to the end of its natural life, with it being built in the 70s, and I know it has been deteriorating before our eyes.
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“Repairs on Armadale Road have since been delayed until the end of April as a result of the recent weather, and was previously due to start on March 20.
“It’s a step in the right direction to fix part of the road.
“We have to take what we can and push to get roads resurfaced.”
Cllr Morgan also says that although Chancellor Jeremy Hunt allocated £200m in the budget statement last week to local authorities to fix potholes, that “it is only a drop in the ocean”.
He added: “This is across all councils in England and Wales, so I want to see what we get.
“I would have hoped that given we are 7th that this would be recognised.”
A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “Last year we repaired over 6,300 individual defects and undertook over 25 miles of carriageway repairs, including resurfacing works.
“The survey information provided does not consider factors such as traffic volume and road construction.
“It is inevitable that rural areas with much less traffic have fewer reported potholes than urban areas which experience higher volumes of traffic and therefore more wear and tear on their roads.
“We know what an important issue pothole repair is for residents and businesses. With limited budgets, we will continue to target maintenance work to where it is most needed and where it provides the best value for residents.”
Following the local budget meeting, it was agreed that £50k would be allocated to each ward for it to be spent on what is seen as a priority.
Cllr Morgan added: “The £50k is for wards to use on whatever they see needs prioritising, so there is flexibility to spend it, and for Heaton and Lostock the majority of this will be used on potholes because of the need for it.”
In November last year Regent Road in Lostock was so bad that someone even created a sign, placed over the road name, renaming it Pothole Road.
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