Bedford Driving Lessons

Councils are changing their definitions of pot holes in a money saving move, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal. When is a pothole not a pothole? When it is less than one and a half inches deep, according to a new definition aimed at saving money on road maintenance. Under the guidelines, holes that are less than 1.57 inches (40mm) in depth will no longer be repaired. Previously, holes as shallow as 0.98in (25mm) were filled in. The cost-cutting move, by Lambeth council in south London, is set to be followed across the country with nearly three-quarters of local authorities preparing to cut their roads maintenance budgets. It comes as parliamentary research shows that the total cost of repairing every pothole on England’s roads has soared to more than £13 billion, following a run of bad winters which damaged road surfaces across the country. In Lambeth, the council has also cut road inspections from every four months to every six months in a further bid to cut costs. Councillor Lorna Campbell, cabinet member for environment and sustainability at the Labour-run council, said holes would be checked less frequently and only deeper ones filled in. She added: “Because of the unprecedented budget pressures we have had to increase intervention limits and response times and decrease inspection frequencies to achieve a saving.” More