More money confirmed to spend on fixing potholes in Congleton

By Belinda Ryan - Local Democracy Reporter 30th Sep 2022

The amount of money councillors can spend on road repairs will increase by £2300.

Ward councillors will get a 50 per cent cash boost for local highways schemes of their choice from next year.

Annual ward member budgets, introduced in 2021, will increase by 50 per cent from £4,200 to £6,500.

The change will empower elected members to prioritise local highway investment and call upon their own budgets to help finance them.

How do you rate the state of Congleton's roads?

Spread across Congleton's six councillors, this means that there will be £39,000 in the kitty to spend on road repairs in our town, for fixing issues such as potholes.

The change will come into effect from April 2023 and will operate for a fixed period of four years. The scheme will help promote the council's aim to be a 'thriving and sustainable place', delivering a highways network that is 'safe and promotes active travel'.

The improved scheme is designed to encourage town and parish councils to work with their local ward members by, for example, allowing to match-fund projects for which there is widespread community support.

Examples of where ward member budgets could be spent include street lighting, footway and highways patching, road signage, vegetation clearance, drainage works and road markings.

Alderley Edge Independent and Cheshire East's No 2 Cllr Craig Browne. He is the second in command of the in-power Labour and Independent administration. (Image - Cheshire East Council)

Councillor Craig Browne, council deputy leader and chair of the council's highways and transport committee, said: "I am confident that this improved scheme, with an increased budget, will help to give elected ward members a greater say in the delivery of local highways and transport priorities.

"The enhanced ward member budget scheme will help deliver locally important highways schemes and I am certain that residents will see a significant benefit over the next four years."

The changes to how the scheme will be administered reflects the council's commitment to enable closer engagement with elected members and town and parish councils, demonstrating how the council is listening to their concerns and taking action to address those concerns for the benefit of residents.

Frequent pothole reporter and Labour Councillor Ashley Farrall, was approached for comment by Nub News.

"The additional money and scope of what we can use the ward budgets is welcome and a step in the right direction but still short of what we need to fix our roads properly, when you consider the costs involved it doesn't go far," he said.

Potholes can be reported via the Cheshire East Council website, however, should you feel the need to raise the issue with your councillor too, their details are below.