Dudley Council is under fire for an alleged 'lack of urgency' in tackling a growing pothole crisis, with residents reportedly left waiting for months for essential repairs.
Months of Delays and a Call for Prevention
The Conservative-run authority, which holds an amber rating from the government for its overall road maintenance performance, is responsible for 1,033km of highways. Official statistics state it filled 2,706 potholes in the 2024/25 financial year.
However, Labour's deputy leader, Councillor Shaukat Ali, contends that problems reported in his St Thomas's ward can take up to two months to be addressed. "To acknowledge a dangerous pothole and then suggest people should wait months - or longer - for repairs is completely unacceptable," Cllr Ali stated.
The opposition is now urging the council leadership to invest more in preventative maintenance rather than reactive fixes. Council figures reveal that for the 2025/26 year, only six percent of the highway maintenance budget is earmarked for prevention, compared to 22 percent for reactive work.
Council Strategy and Resident Frustration
Dudley Council has outlined its planned expenditure for the current financial year, which includes £2.4m to resurface 15.7km of road and £3m to reconstruct 12.1km. A key part of its approach is a 'nighttime blitz' on busy roads, alongside daytime work on quieter routes, aiming to repair 30,000 square metres of potholes at a cost of around £1.3m.
Despite these plans, frustration on the ground is palpable. A deep pothole on Market Street in Stourbridge, directly outside the council-run town hall, became a symbol of the issue, with vehicles repeatedly striking the defective surface.
A local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told reporters: "If people park opposite it, cars can't avoid it; it is about time something was done about it, it is affecting their own building." Repairs on that particular pothole have now begun.
'Falling Behind Neighbours'
Councillor Parmjit Sahota, Labour's shadow cabinet member for economy and infrastructure, criticised the administration's long-term planning. "Residents don't need reports to tell them the roads are in poor condition - they see it every day," he said.
"What the data shows is that Dudley is falling behind its neighbours because the Conservative administration is failing to plan ahead. Instead of preventing problems, they are constantly playing catch-up."
The debate highlights the ongoing challenge for local authorities in balancing limited budgets between immediate repairs and longer-term road preservation, as Dudley's communities demand faster action on deteriorating road surfaces.
