During Prime Minister’s Questions today, Shailesh Vara MP raised the issue of the quality of materials being used for potholes and road repairs in his constituency and in many other constituencies across the country.

Mr Vara spoke of the “£8 billion made available by the government for the repair of roads and potholes”, saying that it was “very welcome”.

He went on to say however, that “some local authorities such as Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, which serve [his] constituency, sometimes use inferior materials so that the works need to be done again in a few months’ time.”

He called on the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, to “use his influence to ensure that there are tough quality specifications so that the repairs can last much longer”. 

In his response, Mr Sunak said that he was “proud that [the government] had announced £8 billion for road resurfacing over the next decade” claiming that the funding would result in “fewer potholes and smoother safer roads across the country”.

He went on to agree with Mr Vara that “it is of the utmost importance that these repairs are completed with high quality materials”.

Mr Sunak also called on Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council to make sure that they deliver the repairs for those living in Mr Vara’s Constituency of North West Cambridgeshire.

Following his exchange with the Prime Minister, Mr Vara said:

“The issue of potholes and road surfaces is frequently raised with me by constituents, both in terms of the work being required in the first place and also when it is eventually done, as to the poor quality of the material used.

“It is bad enough that drivers and cyclists have to put up with potholes and poor roads, and worse still that the issue persists due to the poor quality of the material used.

“It is so important that Local Authorities adhere to tough quality specifications so that when repairs are carried out, they last for much longer.

“I am very pleased that the Prime Minister agreed with me that we should be using better quality materials and that he specifically called upon Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council to address the issue for my constituents.”