£132,000 to fill potholes in South Tyneside '“ but is it enough?

The borough has been awarded £132,000 - enough to tackle 2,500 holes at an average of £53 a time - as part of the Chancellor’s autumn statement.

Coun Moira Smith, South Tyneside Council’s Lead Member for Area Management and Community Safety, welcomed the new cash but said it did not make up for previous shortfalls in Government funding.

“Good road surfaces are vital to highways safety so this latest funding announcement will go some way towards maintaining safer roads across the borough,” she said.

“However, unprecedented government cuts to local authority budgets mean we will have £21,000 less to spend on road repairs next year compared to this year.

“We currently have a £69million backlog of highway maintenance which this funding announcement will do little to cover.”

South Tyneside residents are also being urged to have their say on planned improvements to one of the borough’s busiest junctions.

Highways England plans to upgrade the A19 at the Downhill Lane junction, building a new bridge to the south of the existing one, to create a raised roundabout above the A19, and new slip roads to the A19 and Testo’s junction.

Two events will be held offering members of the public the opportunity to find out more and have their say on the proposals.

The first will be this Friday, December 2, from 12pm until 6pm at the Bunny Hill Library in Hylton Lane, Sundelrand, and the second from 10am to 2pm on Saturday at the Quadrus Centre on Boldon Business Park.

Highways England project manager Paul Ahdal said: “We would really like people to come along to these public consultation events which are being held to give local people the opportunity to find out more and have their say.”