A cash boost of £301,313 has been awarded to Sutton Council to repair potholes on the borough’s roads.The money has been allocated to the borough from a £168 million grant by the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Pothole Repair Fund.

Last year (April 2013 – March 2014) Sutton repaired 1957 potholes compared to 701 repairs that were completed in the previous year. Sutton has also repaired every single pot hole reported to it via its website or customer service line.

A recent Sutton residents’ survey by Ipsos MORI showed that 43% of Sutton residents felt improving the condition of roads and pavements was a key issue for the borough.

Jill Whitehead, Chair of the Environment and Neighbourhood Committee at Sutton Council, said:

“The residents of Sutton have made it clear that the condition of roads and pavements is of paramount importance to them.Through this successful bid this we will be able to significantly improve our roads and pavements as well as allowing us to continue in our aim of fixing every single pot hole that is reported directly to the council, something we proudly achieved in 2013.”

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:

“Potholes are the bane of all our lives and the funding announced today is an important step in ridding our roads of this menace. But it is only one part of a massive programme of investment to get our country up to speed as part of this government’s long-term economic plan.”

What causes potholes?

Potholes are caused when moisture gets into the cracks in the road, which then expand in cold weather when they are frozen. The holes get bigger as vehicles repeatedly drive over them, causing damage to the structure of the road below surface layer.

Residents are encouraged to report any potholes they see either via the dedicated section of the website or by calling the council customer service line on 020 8770 5000.