Potholes trigger majority of complaints, says Hungerford mayor

The state of the roads in and around Hungerford generates the most complaints to the town mayor.

Helen Simpson told a recent full town council meeting that potholes were "probably the thing I get complaints about most".

Her colleague, Alistair Fyfe, said that the quality of recent repairs done also left a lot to be desired.

Mr Fyfe said: "There was a string of potholes in Chilton Foliat but the quality of the repairs is poor – it seems to be a case of 'just slap it in, give it a quick rollover and off we go'.

"It's breaking up already."

District councillor Dennis Benneyworth (Con, Hungerford and Kintbury) said: "There's a couple of really bad ones on Atherton Hill.

"It's very much 'grab a handful of tarmac and slap it in'."

However, he added: "That's to tide things over until it can be done properly."

James Cole (Con, Hungerford and Kintbury) confirmed: "That's been the policy for a couple of years now.

"They normally come back a week or two later to do the job properly... so it will be interesting to see what happens.

"That has been a deliberate policy and it works – if part two happens."

Mr Benneyworth said there was some good news, too.

He added: "West Berkshire Council have filled 800 potholes over the past three months.

"That's four times what they did in the first few months of last year.

"A particularly tough winter wrought havoc on the roads and tyres.

"But now £950,000 has been given to West Berkshire Council, which will be put to very good use."