Call to end 'quick fix' pothole repairs in Mid Wales

Potholes in roads in the Newtown and Welshpool areas are causing increased damage to vehicles, it has been claimed.

Recent extreme weather, including snow, ice and torrential rain, have all taken their toll on Powys's roads, said a county councillor.

Councillor Russell George is calling on the Assembly to provide more cash to the council for long-term road repairs.

He claimed the current "quick fix" culture on pothole repairs was making things worse and there should be a change of priority in funding and a switch to preventative road repairs.

Councillor George, who is also the Conservative Assembly candidate for Montgomeryshire, said: "The Welsh Assembly Government should be providing the much-needed finance to councils, and we are now in a position where the council is continually struggling to get on top of these problems."

Paul Hill, of Newtown Tyres on the Mochdre Industrial Estate in Newtown, said his company had seen an increase in vehicle damage.

"We have seen an increased number of vehicles coming in as a result of damage caused by uneven road surfaces. Wheel alignment and balance can be affected if vehicles drive over untreated potholes," he said.

And Councillor George added: "I have noticed a significant amount of potholes in the Welshpool and Newtown areas."