Use website to report potholes instead of emailing officers, council tells residents

It comes after Councillor Dave Tremellen, who represents Highley on the authority, shared the email addresses to various council officials in charge of the roads, resulting in them being bombarded with messages.

Councillor Tremellen said he and the parish clerk were being "ignored" when highlighting the "dangerous" state of the B4555 and other roads in his ward.

He added that it seemed highways officials would "prefer" to speak to the 3,600 residents of the village instead.

Councillor Steve Charmley, who was appointed as the cabinet member with responsibility for highways earlier this month, said a new technique was being used to increase the efficiency of road repairs and encouraged people to report defects using the council's website.

Councillor Charmley said: "As part of the council’s trialling of new innovations we have recently successfully identified a technique which allows us to undertake patching at a significantly reduced cost and as such increases the amount of this work that we can undertake each year.

"As a result the highways team has developed a new countywide wide A&B road maintenance programme which will see significant patching repairs carried out over the coming weeks and months.

Safety

"Five sections of the B4555 are included in this programme, including the stretch between New Road and Ingram Lane from July 12 to 23.

“In addition safety defects were treated on High Street last Saturday, and on New Road on Thursday, and the resurfacing of High Street, Highley is currently on the council's programme for repair and this will be brought forward to this year if further funding is made available.

“The Conservative manifesto for the local elections committed to investment in the highway network and the new administration is now working with officers to investigate what this investment could look like.

"The council is hopeful therefore of increasing its programme of works over the coming years above and beyond the current level of funding made available from government.

“We also stress that any concerns with roads in Highley or elsewhere in the county should be reported via the Shropshire Council website to ensure that they reach and are assigned to the appropriate team, and added to the work programme.

"We ask and encourage people to do this, and not email council officers direct.”