County is second worst for roadworks in UK

STAFFORDSHIRE COUNCIL SAYS DRIVERS WANT GOOD ROADS, AND MANY OF THE 52,871 WORKS LAST YEAR WERE DONE BY UTILITY COMPANIES

THE highways authority responsible for the roads in Burton has been named as having the second highest number of roadworks in the UK.

Staffordshire County Council came second on the list for roadworks obtained after a Freedom of Information request was made for the information.

The Bill Plant Driving School submitted the request to local authorities around the UK to find out which carried out the most roadworks during the 2021-22 financial year. Staffordshire County Council was reported to have had 52,871 road or street works carried out.

However, the authority has pointed out that although it sanctions roadworks across the county, it does not mean it is carrying out every single bit of work itself, as the figures also cover roadworks done by utility and phone companies, among others. Staffordshire came second to Essex County Council with a total of 77,423 roadworks.

David Williams, cabinet member for transport and highways at Staffordshire County Council, said: “We are a large rural county with over 6,000km of roads and we are also a growing county with an increasing population and new businesses choosing to locate here. This all has an impact on the number of roadworks, a large proportion of which are being carried out by developers and water, gas and telecoms companies, all of which the county council has a legal responsibility to license.

“Our highways teams work hard to limit the impact of roadworks, trying to balance those companies’ legal rights to carry out works while minimising the disruption and inconvenience to both residents and motorists.

“We also carry out a significant number of road repairs which we know our residents want us to do and which are necessary if we are to achieve our aim of improving the quality and durability of our roads so we can reduce the need for as many road repairs in the longer term.”

A spokesman for the Bill Plant Driving School said: “It has been reported that around £12 billion has been spent on roadworks across the UK since 2021, which can often result in delayed journeys and frustrated drivers. With this in mind, new research has revealed the top 10 UK areas where the most roadworks have been carried out since 2021 and Staffordshire County Council features, with over 52,871 roadworks, which is the 2nd highest in the UK.”