Council gets windfall to repair more than 3,000 potholes in roads

A massive pothole measuring 10ft long and more than a foot deep near Framfield, East Sussex. See SWNS story SWPOTHOLE; A council road repair van found itself in a whole world of trouble when it became stuck - in the POTHOLE it was sent to fix. The massive council van got swallowed up in the colossal pothole - measuring 10ft long and more than a foot deep. Residents in the East Sussex village of Framfield reckon the pothole opened up in December, but the county council only sent workmen to take a look at it last week - when they became stuck. Retired criminal barrister Clemency Abraham, 47, said: "I think it was on the 16th. "I was bringing my children home at about 7:30. When I drove past I saw, as I was on my way, there was a van stuck in the pothole.

The windfall will pay for exactly 3,170 potholes to be filled.

Milton Keynes was one of a list of local authorities to receive cash this week from the Department for Transport’s Pothole Action Fund.

In total £50 million was granted across the country to repair almost a million potholes over the next 12 months.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “I know how important well-maintained roads are to people across the South East.”

He added: “ Almost every journey starts and ends on a local road, so the government is giving councils in the South East £8.3 million specifically to tackle the blight of potholes in their area”

More money is due to be given to local authorities to tackle more potholes over the next five years.

Funding is calculated according to the size of the local road network in the area.