Has YOUR street been plagued with potholes? E-mail:shannon.mcguigan@dailymail.co.uk Get your news delivered straight to you by 7am - sign up to our new Morning Mail newsletter for FREE See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy SHANNON MCGUIGAN, NEWS REPORTER Published: 10:56 BST, 25 August 2026 | Updated: 11:17 BST, 25 August 2026
A local council has been criticised over its 'patchwork' repairs of more than 51 potholes along one stretch of road. Aberdeen Avenue in Cambridge has been ridiculed for the hodgepodge repairs where individual crevices were filled at the junction with Brooklands Avenue.Critics have argued that bigger, more durable fixes are needed to solve the problem, as many of the 'patchwork' repairs overlap with one another. Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) insisted the potholes 'have been repaired as they have appeared' and that they 'developed over a period of time'.However, the move to repair individual crevices rather than cover them all in one go has sparked allegations of contractors getting paid per patch.Former councillor Dr Jocelynne Scutt said: 'Clearly, all could have been done as one major patch.'Dedicated Highways workers now will stand aghast at this sort of money-grubbing practice that ought-to-be-stopped.' Aberdeen Avenue in Cambridge has been ridiculed for the hodgepodge repairs where individual crevices were filled at the junction with Brooklands Avenue Critics have argued that bigger, more durable fixes are needed to solve the problem, as many of the 'patchwork' repairs overlap with one anotherA CCC spokesman said: 'The potholes at the junction of Aberdeen Avenue and Brooklands Avenue have developed over a period of time and have been repaired as they have appeared, following routine safety inspections and reports from members of the public.'Repairing individual potholes is often the most appropriate and cost-effective way of dealing with defects as they emerge.'The cost of a pothole repair varies depending on factors such as the location, working hours required and any traffic management arrangements.'However, the council is moving to a fixed-cost model under its term service contract extension.'While resurfacing the entire area may be desirable, it can be more expensive and, with limited funding available, resurfacing schemes must be prioritised across the county based on need.'The council has recently approved an additional £5million for its winter readiness programme, which will identify and prioritise areas requiring more extensive repairs and surface treatments.'However, demand for repairs continues to exceed available funding, so investment must be focused on those locations identified as the highest priority.'
