Dudley potholes pledge despite £300k savings plan

Dudley Council has included a new strategy for fixing roads in its draft budget for 2018/19 which says it will ensure 'efficient highways maintenance service by streamlining pothole repair processing' and will be 'focusing carriageway resurfacing on (the) strategic highway network'.

But council leader Patrick Harley denied the focus on main roads meant smaller streets would be left unattended - despite the fact the authority aims to save £310,000 from the shake-up.

He said teams could often react to potholes on quieter roads quickly without the need for major expense.

Councillor Harley said: "We work a lot smarter and can do a lot more for a lot less."

Meanwhile, gritting bins will be returned to the previous levels following a reduction when Labour were in control of the council.

Councillor Harley said he struggled to understand the decision to cut back on bins.

He said: "There is a clear commitment to return gritting bins. Councils make £20,000 or £30,000 savings but they end up having a big impact on the electorate."

An extra £200,000 will also be pumped into the maintenance of parks, green spaces and roads including more weed spraying, litter collection and grass cutting.

The council leader said: "This budget is about investment, about putting money back into services, so we can all be proud of the borough we live in and the services available to all residents.

"We recognise these are still very tough times for local authorities but it's important we remain focused on continuing to provide quality frontline services to our residents."

Dudley Council needs to save £5.6 million by 2021 on top of millions of cutbacks since 2010 due to budget cuts.

But Councillor Harley, leader of the Conservative-controlled council, insisted it was time to stop blaming the Government for budget cuts and focus on where authority could create its own revenue streams.