Dear Sir

I WRITE to offer a clarification and to add my voice to John Allen’s letter from Wilts & Glos Standard March 14.

John’s letter accurately highlighted the appalling state of the county’s roads, and the abundance of botched repair jobs seen both on our urban and rural highways.

The £150 million that John referred to, however, isn’t all it appears. The much spun money is actually only £30 million a year, and will only be spent on long-length resurfacing.

In fact, the Conservative administration has failed to put any additional money towards pothole repair, and continues to dramatically underfund cycle routes and the repair of footpaths.

This week, they have decided to bring a motion to the county council to give themselves a hearty round of applause, and congratulate themselves on a job well done.

I believe this time would be much better spent listening to residents, as I often do, to hear their concerns over disintegrating and dangerous highways.

I will take the opportunity at the council to make those voices heard amongst the ‘pothole deniers’. Let’s hope they stop clapping long enough to listen.

Cllr Paul Hodgkinson

County Councillor for Bourton and Northleach and Leader of Liberal Democrat Group on Gloucestershire County Council