A LUDLOW councillor says the controversial decision to spend £1,000 a day on a consultant to tackle potholes will be worth it if he sorts the problem.

“The rain is dancing on the roads and pavements and tap dancing on my windows as Storm Ciara hits with full force,” said Andy Boddington, Shropshire councillor for Ludlow North.

“If Shropshire Council is to be believed, potholes will be popping up on roads across the county like zits on a teenager’s face.

“Too much rain is the latest excuse by the council for the pothole menace invading the county. Even Tory councillors are complaining.”

Mr Boddington acknowledges that the £1,000 a day consultant appointed to help tackle the pothole problem has caused outrage.

Shropshire Council says that the figure is misleading as it does not just cover the fee but expenses such as recruitment, accommodation and travel.

They say it is not out

of line with consultancy fees.

“Public outrage over the menace of potholes has bounced to a new bumpy height,” said Mr Boddington.

“The management of the highways contract has been a mess for years.

“Shropshire Council’s highways service is as broken as many of our roads. In 2018/19, 12 per cent of the county’s B and C roads needed maintenance, well above the national average of five per cent.

“This was not due to bad weather. It was down to lack of investment in the road network.

“Shropshire Council pays out for just one per cent of pothole claims. It relies on a defence that it has taken the ‘reasonable care’ required under the Highways Act when maintaining roads.”

He said that Shropshire Council had promised to fix 500 potholes a day and invest a further £1.3 million on maintaining roads.

Although the cost is controversial, the consultant will be worth it if he sorts out Shropshire Council’s highways operation.”