Merseyside borough named one of worst pothole locations in England

Knowsley is one of the worst locations in England for potholed roads, new research has revealed. A whopping 64% of roads in the Merseyside borough are deemed to be damaged, ranking the area as the fifth worst in the country.

The research, carried out by Compare the Market, found the worst driving surfaces in England are in Bristol, where 78.5% of roads are damaged. Blackburn and Darwen ranked joint second (76%), followed by Cheshire West and Chester (72%), Derby (71%) and Knowsley.

The data reveals the condition of roads varies drastically across the country depending, in part, on the finances of the local authorities responsible for repairs on surfaces outside the jurisdiction of National Highways, which deals with motorways and A roads.

Freedom of Information data shows that Knowsley Council spent £579,105.71 repairing potholes in 2021. The local authority deems a pothole to be a defect in the road surface 40mm or more deep.

However, maybe the people of Knowsley can look forward to better road surfaces in the future as the residents will see their council tax rise by the maximum amount possible after the council’s budget for the coming year was agreed this week.

Cabinet member for finance and resources, Cllr Jayne Aston said the ruling Labour group had been left with “no choice” but to implement a full increase of 5% to help fill a financial deficit. She also took aim at the way the Conservative government formulates funding for local authorities.

The council is projecting a “small” deficit in its budgets over the next few years – with an expected £1.26m funding gap in 2023/4, nearly £1.8m the following year and over £3.7m in 2025/26 – much less than other councils across Merseyside.