MUCH has been written in the pages of your newspaper regarding potholes within the Bolton borough.

May I set the record straight regarding the current status of potholes?

For potholes to be actionable by our highways team, the carriageway defects have to be at least 40mm deep by at least 300mm wide in any one direction.

These dimensions are national approved standards adopted by all local authorities.

As of today, there are currently 459 potholes outstanding with an estimated cost of repairs £32,000.

In the past 12 months, 8,335 potholes have met the above criteria.

There is a current backlog of 326km that needs resurfacing, at a cost of £108 million.

The recent autumn/winter months have been very challenging for our gritting teams who have on many occasions been out three times during the hours of darkness.

This has caused a significant increase in the numbers of potholes requiring repairs during this period.

As we enter the election period up to May 3, our political opponents have been suggesting that our staff are somehow prioritising areas other than their particular wards.

There is no deviation from the strict allocation of potholes from the database of this information by our highways management team.

To suggest otherwise is without any foundation whatsoever and seriously impugns the integrity and impartiality of our hardworking staff in trying to keep driver and pedestrian safety as a top priority.

Cllr David Chadwick

Cabinet Member Highways and Transport