The new North Yorkshire Council has announced plans to spend £8m on 'surface dressing' over the coming months to improve the condition of the county's roads.
Surface dressing is a quick, efficient and cost-effective way of maintaining skid-resistant and waterproof road surfaces, helping to prevent potholes and extending the life of the road by up to ten years.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transport, Cllr Keane Duncan, said: “Keeping North Yorkshire’s roads safe and in the best possible condition is a top priority for the new council and we’re taking action in our first month.
“This £8 million investment in surface dressing is a key part of our proactive maintenance plan that is vital to maintaining a safe network and preventing potholes arising.
“Maintaining North Yorkshire’s roads is an immense challenge, but despite the impact of winter and inflationary pressures we are making positive progress.
“Careful prioritisation of works, additional investment and close cooperation with our contractors means we will be delivering an extra £2.6 million worth of surface dressing schemes this year, the equivalent of an extra 60 miles.
“This is immensely positive news, but there is still more to do, and we will continue to invest and innovate to improve the road network for residents in all corners of the county.”
In this year’s Spring Budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt pledged to increase the fund available to deal with potholes each year to £700 million. North Yorkshire was awarded £6.5 million, making it among the top three councils to benefit from the funding. A review of its programme is under way to bring in new schemes and ensure the money is spent in the most cost-effective way.
Craven will be the last area of the county to see works take place - the surface dressing programme will begin mid-April in the Hambleton, Selby and Scarborough districts before moving to Ryedale and Richmondshire in May, then finishing in the Craven district in early June.
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