NEARLY 100 potholes in Ludlow have been repaired.

Council contractors have had a blitz on 82 potholes that have been repaired on roads in the town before the winter weather can make them bigger.

This has been welcomed as ‘good news’ but there are some concerns about the technique known as ‘pothole patching’ that has been used.

“Good news on the pothole front,” said Andy Boddington, a Shropshire councillor for Ludlow.

“Our town is riddled with potholes and a bumpy ride is quite normal. While a few of the big potholes have been patched, the backlog remains large.”

Shropshire Council’s highways contractor, Kier, has used a new technique to quickly repair potholes. Under the process, which the highways team says is ‘extremely quiet,’ potholes are cleaned out, filled with a material called Texpatch and covered with a patch.

This is expected to provide a longer-lasting, smoother, neater finish compared to traditional pothole repairs. The process has already been trialled in Whitchurch and Market Drayton.

“This is welcome news,” Mr Boddington added.

“Potholes are a hazard and they damage vehicles.

“They also give a poor impression of our town to visitors.

“It’s great that these potholes are to be repaired in time for the Food Festival.”

There has been additional funding from central Government for the repair of potholes, but some argue that this is not adequate to cope with the extent of the problem.

Motoring organisations have also blamed potholes for causing costly damage to cars and commercial vehicles.

Potholes can cause damage to tyres, steering and suspension.

In some cases, they can also be a danger and result in accidents.

The problem can be even more serious in rural areas where there is often a lack of lighting.

Potholes are made worse in winter because of rain, frost and freezing conditions.