Road repairs after big freeze 'will run on until next winter'

WORK to patch up potholes on North Yorkshire's roads is continuing, more than six months after the biggest freeze in 30 years as highways officials admitted yesterday they would struggle to complete the repairs before the onset of next winter.

The latest phase of major roadworks is due to get under way next week as North Yorkshire County Council turns its attention to repairing the routes in the Selby district which were severely damaged in the sub-zero temperatures.

The council is having to prioritise the roads which were worst affected and seen as the most strategically important, as highways teams attempt to carry out repairs to hundreds of thousands of potholes ahead of the coming winter months.

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Work has already been carried out in other areas including Hambleton and Harrogate, although the council's executive member for highways, Gareth Dadd, admitted that repairs to minor routes would not be completed before the winter.

Coun Dadd said: "It is a massive task, and we are having to use the money which is available to prioritise where the repairs can be carried out.

"The public perhaps do not realise just what a devastating impact the winter had on North Yorkshire's roads network and the scale of the repairs which are having to be undertaken.

"The intention is to carry out work on major routes before the winter months, but resources are limited and we are facing financial constraints like all local authorities.

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"However, the problems are amplified in North Yorkshire as we cover such a vast area and our roads are often in remote rural locations. It is a massive challenge, and one that we are attempting to resolve as best we can."

The Yorkshire Post revealed in February that the county council was faced with a massive repair bill for more than 5,000 miles of roads after freezing temperatures opened up potholes.

The authority is having to cope with a 10m bill for mending the potholes and an additional 9m for gritting, while a 1m emergency fund was earmarked from the last financial year's revenue budget to help pay for the costs.

A controversial "snow levy" was also introduced on taxpayers as the authority imposed a higher than expected council tax increase to help to pay for the multi-million-pound road maintenance bill.

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More than 258,000 households in North Yorkshire are now paying a 2.94 per cent rise during the current financial year instead of the planned 2.5 per cent increase which went out for public consultation last autumn.

The rise equates to a 1,057.48 bill for an average band D property – an increase of 30.18, or 58p a week, on the bill for the previous financial year.

The tax increase was condemned by opposition Liberal Democrat councillors, who claimed the Tory-run administration was ignoring the financial plight of residents in the wake of the recession.

However, Coun Dadd was adamant that the move was necessary to help pay for the repairs, and he admitted that it would cost up to 40m to bring North Yorkshire's roads up to a "gold-plated" standard.

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He added: "Even through these frugal times, I am determined to make it a priority to provide an adequate roads network to ensure the economic well-being of North Yorkshire.

The county council announced details yesterday of the initial stages of the repair programme on roads in the Selby district.

The first batch of repairs will begin on Tuesday next week and covers the B1223 between Selby and Wistow, the B1223 between Ulleskelf and Ozendyke, and Garnet Lane in Tadcaster.

The affected roads will be closed between 8.30am and 5pm from Tuesday next week, with a maximum three-day closure.