FRUSTRATION with potholes has reached new levels in West Devon after representatives of Devon County Council (DCC) didn’t attend a meeting in the borough to give an update about road maintenance.

Members of the borough council’s overview and scrutiny committee said they were “disappointed” and one that it was “shameful” that the county council couldn’t send an officer or councillor to answer questions.

They will write a “strongly worded” letter to the authority to say it’s not good enough.

Cllr Lynn Daniel (Green, South Tawton) said people in West Devon complained about the condition of the roads and potholes more than anything else.

“I speak to people every day about the damage to their cars, their lives are disrupted by it,” she said. “It’s a road safety issue.”

She said wheelchair users and cyclists are at risk too. “I think it’s shameful they haven’t attended,” she said.

Cllr Steve Guthrie (Green, Drewsteignton) said money that is being spent on repairs by the council is being wasted as repairs are inefficient.

And Cllr Christopher West (Lib Dem, Burrator) said the parish councils he attended had not a single reply from the county council in years about road repair issues.

“It shows an utter disrespect for us,” he said, adding that bringing road maintenance back in-house rather than employing a contractor might be a good way to hold the county council to account.

Whilst automated high-tech machinery is expensive, Cllr Malcolm Calder (Green, Okehampton South) said there are models that could mend potholes in three minutes, so save time and manpower.

Cllr Tony Leech (Ind, Okehampton North) said he still thought the right way to go is to mend potholes in one area before going somewhere else.

Committee chairman Cllr Patrick Kimber (Con, Hatherleigh) said: “I am really disappointed, We are elected members of our communities and we spend a lot of time with people in our communities so I think a discussion is the least we could hope for.”

Last month Devon County Council said it had fixed 5,000 potholes in six months using a device known as a “dragon patcher”.

The success of the dragon patchers appears to be because the heat of their flames helps the repair material bond effectively to the existing road surface.

An extra £12 million funding has enabled more patching teams to be assigned to potholes.

The reported number of potholes has increased by half in just four months. Residents can report their location on Devon County Council’s website.

Alison Stephenson