Macclesfield Cheshire East Councillors are getting a cash boost to help tackle potholes.

Ward councillors will get a 50 per cent cash boost for local highways schemes of their choice from next year. 

Annual ward member budgets, introduced in 2021, will increase by 50 per cent from £4,200 to £6,500.

The change will empower elected members to prioritise local highway investment and call upon their own budgets to help finance them.

A pothole filled in on Abbey Road in Macclesfield. (Image - Cllr David Edwardes)

The change will come into effect from April 2023 and will operate for a fixed period of four years. The scheme will help promote the council's aim to be a 'thriving and sustainable place', delivering a highways network that is 'safe and promotes active travel'. 

The improved scheme is designed to encourage town and parish councils to work with their local ward members by, for example, allowing to match-fund projects for which there is widespread community support.

Examples of where ward member budgets could be spent include street lighting, footway and highways patching, road signage, vegetation clearance, drainage works and road markings. 

Councillor Craig Browne, council deputy leader and chair of the council's highways and transport committee, said: "I am confident that this improved scheme, with an increased budget, will help to give elected ward members a greater say in the delivery of local highways and transport priorities.

Alderley Edge Independent and Cheshire East's No 2 Cllr Craig Browne. (Image - Cheshire East Council)

"The enhanced ward member budget scheme will help deliver locally important highways schemes and I am certain that residents will see a significant benefit over the next four years."

The changes to how the scheme will be administered reflects the council's commitment to enable closer engagement with elected members and town and parish councils, demonstrating how the council is listening to their concerns and taking action to address those concerns for the benefit of residents.

Macclesfield Central Councillor Ashley Farrall, who has produced frequent pothole opinion pieces on Macclesfield Nub News, was approached for comment.

"The additional money and scope of what we can use the ward budgets is welcome and a step in the right direction but still short of what we need to fix our roads properly, when you consider the costs involved it doesn't go far," he said.

Macclesfield Labour Councillor Ashley Farrall has long-identified the west side of Chestergate as a problem site for pot holes. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

"Both [fellow Macclesfield Central Cllr] Liz [Braithwaite] and I have used our ward budgets this year to request that areas such Chestergate West, Brook Street and Chester Road be treated with Level 2 repairs finally resolving the patchwork 'emergency level 1 repairs' of the past, baring any further delay will be done next month, starting on the October 5 with Chestergate."

The news follows a pothole grand of almost £6 million granted to Cheshire East Council back in April.

In 2019-20, Cheshire East were the fifth highest spending council on road repairs in the UK.

Potholes can be reported via the Cheshire East Council website, however, should you feel the need to raise the issue with your councillor too, their details are below.

• Cllr Steve Carter (Macclesfield Hurdsfield, Labour)
• Cllr Brian Puddicombe (Macclesfield South, Labour)
• Cllr James Nicholas (Bollington, Independent)
• Cllr Nick Mannion (Macclesfield West and Ivy, Labour)
• Cllr Laura Jeuda (Macclesfield South, Labour)
• Cllr Alift Harewood (Macclesfield West and Ivy, Labour)
• Cllr Paul Findlow (Prestbury, Conservatives)
• Cllr Ashley Farrall (Macclesfield Central, Labour)
• Cllr James Barber (Broken Cross and Upton, Labour)
• Cllr Liz Braithwaite (Macclesfield Central, Labour)
• Cllr David Edwardes (Macclesfield Tytherington, Independent)
• Cllr Rob Vernon (Broken Cross and Upton, Labour)
• Cllr Mick Warren (Macclesfield East, Independent)
• Cllr Amanda Stott (Bollington, Independent)
• Cllr Lloyd Roberts (Macclefield Tytherington, Real Independent Group)
• Cllr Nickie Wylie (Pott Shrigley, Non-Grouped)
• Cllr Jos Saunders (Pott Shrigley, Conservatives)

Macclesfield: To find out which ward your resides in for the right councillor to contact, please click here.

See Also: Macclesfield pothole policy needs a 'rethink' for 2022

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