REVEALED: the 100+ Lancashire roads to be resurfaced amid row over "excuses" about potholes

The opposition Labour group on Lancashire County Council accused the ruling Conservatives of using the weather as an excuse for poor pothole repairs.

However, the Tories said they had spent one and a half times as much on the region’s highways over the last four years as Labour did when it was last in control at County Hall - and claimed that the weather had been worse since they took office.

The row over the roads occurred at a meeting of the authority’s cabinet where another 84 wholesale resurfacing and surface dressing schemes - totalling over 100 individual routes - were approved to be undertaken over the next year - in addition to the 88 projects announced last month.

However, Labour group leader Azhar Ali said that some of the recent work to fill individual potholes was “poor” - and that he had received a response from the county's director of highways accepting that some of the examples he had highlighted “aren’t satisfactory repairs”.

Cabinet member for highways Keith Iddon said bad weather over the winter had made it “difficult” to rectify emerging problems, adding: “Sometimes all we could do to keep the roads safe was to go out and put some Tarmac into an existing hole - and I do appreciate that we have to come back and do it again.”

However, that provoked a furious response from Labour deputy group leader John Fillis, who condemned "excuses" about poor weather as an explanation for the county's pothole problems.

“We always have winter...and you treat it as though it’s something new. This winter hasn’t been that bad, it's been the splash-and-dash attitude of this Conservative administration - where’s the pride?

“It is really sad that year after year, we hear that it's been raining, cold [and] inclement - give it up,” County Cllr Fillis said.

County council leader Geoff Driver - in his final cabinet meeting before stepping down at next month’s elections - said that temporary repairs were often all that was possible over the winter.

He added: “This Conservative administration will have spent £318m on highway repairs et cetera - which is half as much again as the previous Labour administration.”

County Cllr Iddon said that analysis of past Lancashire winters showed that “the weather was quite good” when the party was last in charge at County Hall between 2013 and summer 2017.

“When we took over, it was one of the worst winters we’d had in a five-year period - we had to get on with the job and a lot of roads disintegrated,” said County Cllr Iddon.

He also pledged to take “a special look” at the situation in East Lancashire after County Cllr Ali said the problem of the original cobbles reappearing beneath a fracturing top surface made the area look “more like a third world country”.

The meeting heard that the depth of pothole created in those circumstances often did not meet the authority’s “intervention level” for action - which is currently 40mm.

Just last month, County Hall laid out plans for 88 resurfacing projects, as part of how it intended to spend £38.8m in highways maintenance funding, £18m on surfaces - including an extra £10m that the authority added to its roads budget earlier this year.

However, there was uncertainty over the exact amount that would be received from the annual government grant that made up the rest of the total. That meant additional schemes have since had to be identified, totalling £13.5m - £5.8m of which has been earmarked for whole surface upgrades (see below), with the rest to be spent on footpaths, bridges and traffic lights.

ROAD RESURFACING PLANS

Additional planned resurfacing, surface dressing and surface preservation work to be carried out during 2021/22, broken down by district, with each entry in the form of: road name(s) - electoral division(s) - exact location of work.

BURNLEY

A682, Manchester Road, Burnley South West/ Burnley Central West - eastbound carriageway from Spring Hill to Reynolds Street

M65, Burnley South West/Burnley Central West/Burnley North East/Pendle Hill/Brierfield and Nelson West/Pendle Central - from J10 to A6068 including all slip roads except J13 to J12 entry slip

Hind Street, Burnley North East - full length

Marlborough Street, Burnley Rural - full length from Healey Row to Springfield Road

CHORLEY

A6, Bolton Road, Chorley Central - repairs to bus lay-by

B5229, Harpers Lane, Chorley North - from junction with Springs Road to junction with Erskine Road

B5228, Lyons Lane, Chorley North - from junction with Eaves Lane to junction with Cavendish Street

B5229, Harpers Lane, Chorley North -Talbot Close (Botany Brow) to St Peters Parish Club (Eaves Lane)

Cowling Brow, Chorley North - from junction with Moorland Gate to Brownley Street

Clayton Brook Road, Hoghton with Wheelton - Preston Road to Westwood Road

Common Bank Lane, Chorley Central - Ackhurst Road to number 1 Common Bank Lane

Gillcroft, Chorley Rural West - Boundary close to The Fields

FYLDE

Mayfield Road, St Annes South - two sections between Oxford road and Headroomgate Road

Oxford Road and surrounding area, St. Annes North/St. Annes South - full lengths of Oxford Road, Gretdale Avenue and Dorset Road

Alexandria Drive and surrounding area, St Annes South - Alexandria Drive from Fairhaven Road to Cartmel Road; Fairhaven Road from South Prom to Clifton Drive South; Derbe Road from South Prom to Clifton Drive South; Lightburne Avenue from South Prom to Clifton Drive South; Riley Avenue from South Prom to Clifton Drive South; Cartmel Road from South Prom to Clifton Drive South

Eastway, Fylde South - from Lamaleach Drive to the dead end

HYNDBURN

A6119, Whitebirk Drive, Great Harwood, Rishton & Clayton-le-Moors - from the roundabout to adjacent to Currys Store

A6119, Whitebirk Roundabout, Great Harwood, Rishton & Clayton-le-Moors - whole roundabout

Chapel Street and Wharf Street, Great Harwood, Rishton and Clayton-le-Moors - Chapel Street from Buter Street to Wharf Street; Wharf Street from High Street to the ginnel entrance to Chapel Street

LANCASTER

A6, Cable Street, Lancaster Central/Lancaster East - Water Street to Church Street

Back Lane, Lancaster Rural North - adjacent to entrance to Back Lane Quarry

Richmond Avenue, Morecambe South - Lathom Avenue to Burlington Avenue

Williamson Road, Lancaster East - Moorgate to the end

Edenvale Crescent, Skerton - Barley Cop Lane to outside no. 21

Battismore Road, Morecambe Central - Schola Green Lane to West End Road

Connaught Road, Lancaster South East - Lenister Road to Cork Road

Rosebery Avenue, Morecambe South - Lowlands Road to Lancaster Road

Wharfedale Road, Lancaster Central - Willow Lane to outside no. 20

Beaumont Street, Skerton - Slyne Road (A6) to Tan Hill Drive

Tarnsyke Road, Skerton - from Ryelands Road to Summersgill Road

Fairfield Road, Lancaster Central - Westborne Road to West Road

Brunswick Road, Morecambe Central - Alexandra Road to Sefton Road

Borrowdale Grove, Morecambe South - full length

Clarendon Road East, Morecambe Central - Regent Road to West End Road

Pasture Lane, Morecambe North - Shore Lane to the Shore and Shore Lane from Coastal Road to the end

PENDLE

Vincent Street, Pendle Central/Pendle Rural - Oak Street to Fern Street

Farrer Street, Brierfield and Nelson West - Back Manchester Road to Every Street

Coal Pit Lane, Pendle Rural - Keighley Road to Mire Ridge and Rockwood to Church Street

Coal Pit Lane, Pendle Rural - Mire Ridge to Rookwood

PRESTON

A583, Water Lane, Preston South West/Preston Central West - Wellington Street to West View Terrace

B5269, Cumeragh Lane, Preston Rural - Whittingham Lane to Longridge Border

B5269, Cumeragh Lane, Preston Rural - Halfpenny Lane to outside no. 842

Cambridge Street and Moor Hall Street, Preston Central West/Preston Central East - full lengths

Whinfield Lane, Preston South West - full length

Brook Street, Preston Central West - Blackpool Road to Fylde Road

Ripon Street and surrounding area, Preston Central West/Preston Central East - Ripon Street from A6 to Bold Street; Brackenbury Road from Ripon Street to Blackpool Road; Trafford Street from Brackenbury Road to Brook Street; Eldon Street from Brackenbury Road to lighting column 21; Broughton Street from Ripon Street to Blackpool Road; Henderson Street from Eldon Street to Blackpool Road; Dallas Street, Elmsley Street, Jemmett Street, Lowndes Street and Otway Street - full lengths

Miller Road and Pope Lane, Preston South East/Preston East - Miller Road from Blackpool Road to Pope Lane; Pope Lane from Miller Road to Grizedale Crescent

RIBBLE VALLEY

A59, Main Street, Ribble Valley North East - outside the cattle market

A667, Whalley Clitheroe Bypass, Ribble Valley South West - northbound from Petre Roundabout

A667, Preston New Road, Ribble Valley South West - contribution to cross boundary works with Blackburn with Darwen

B6245, Preston Road, Longridge with Bowland - 34 Church Street to 80m past Kitchen Green Farm

Smalden Lane, Ribble Valley North East - adjacent to Cow Hill Laithe

Back Lane, Longridge with Bowland - Newton Road to Woodhouse Lane

Black House Lane, Longridge with Bowland - Parsonage Lane to Collins Hill Lane

Main Street, Ribble Valley North East - three areas between Clitheroe Road and Whalley Clitheroe bypass

Moorland Road area, Ribble Valley South West - Moorland Road and three adjoining junctions with Cronshaw Drive, Bushburn Drive and the small cul-de-sac opposite house no. 60

Barret Hill Brow, Ribble Valley North East - Grindleton Road to Holden Lane

ROSSENDALE

Peel Street, Rossendale West - Fern Terrace to Charles Lane

Yew Tree Grove, Rossendale South - full length from Lavender Hill to the end of cul-de-sac

Bank Street, Rossendale West - Deardengate to Bury Road and junction of Bank Street to Cleveland House car park entrance

SOUTH RIBBLE

A582 double roundabout, Moss Side and Farrington - Flensburg Way at the Farington Way double roundabout

B6230, Cuerdale Lane, South Ribble East - from the A677 for 600m

B6230, Cuerdale Lane, South Ribble East - Cowell's Farm south for approx 350m

West Paddock, Leyland Central/Leyland South - Roberts Court to Fox Lane

Wheelton Lane, Moss Side & Farrington/Leyland Central - Golden Hill Lane to Centurion Way, 250m in either direction

Padway, Penwortham East and Walton le Dale - full length

Clovelly Drive, Penwortham West - Liverpool Road to Newland

Towngate, Leyland Central - St Andrews Way to the police station

Daub Hall Lane, South Ribble East - Gregson Lane to Houghton Lane

WEST LANCASHIRE

B5240, Hall Lane, West Lancashire East - Spa Lane to Lords Cottage

Hesketh Lane, West Lancashire North - Fermor Road to Carr View Close

Thornwood and surrounding roads, Skelmersdale West - Thornwood house no. 1 to house no. 61; Thornberry from lighting column 4 to the dead end

Beacon Lane, Skelmersdale West - Cobbs Brow Lane to Whalleys Road

Blackacre Lane, Ormskirk - Pipping Street to Heskin Lane

Burnside, West Lancashire East - Broadmead to Bankside

WYRE

A586, Garstang Road, Wyre Rural Central - Allotment Lane to St Michaels Bridge

A588, Station Road, Poulton-Le-Fylde - outside no. 56 north to outside no. 42

B5266, Normoss Road, Poulton-Le-Fylde - from Normoss Avenue to Avenue Road

Conway Avenue, Poulton-Le-Fylde - full lengths of Conway Avenue, Ravenswood Avenue and Fairfield Avenue. Normoss Avenue between Ravenswood Avenue to Newton Drive East

Blackpool Old Road, Poulton-Le-Fylde - between nos 291 and 292

North Drive, Cleveleys East - patching from lamp column 6 to house no. 615

Grizedale Avenue, Wyre Rural East - from Kepple Lane to the dead end

School Lane, Wyre Rural Central - from Lancaster Road to Cricket Club culvert

Back Lane, Thornton and Hambleton - Union Lane to Stricklands