THE PROBLEM with potholes rumbles on in the county as people voice their criticisms of how Gloucestershire County Council is dealing with the issue.

After some torrid weather, the roads are in a poor state and the estimated cost to return the highways to an acceptable standard is estimated to be a staggering £91million.

Many are critical of the method used to combat the problem.

Currently GCC adheres to Government guidelines and focuses on the most dangerous potholes, sending an inspector to mark them so highways teams can come and fill them in, but leaving smaller potholes nearby.

Yes money is tight and the local authority says it cannot afford to completely eradicate the issue in one fell swoop but surely it would save money by not having to return several times to the same stretch of road.

With this in mind the new highways and flood cabinet member Cllr Vernon Smith is adopting a more flexible approach by doubling the current £10,000 budget for councillors, allowing them to deal with the worst affected areas in one go.

This pot of money has been described in the past "as a drop in the ocean" by critics but it does allow teams to deal with whole areas, rather than waiting for the holes to get to a certain size before being dealt with.

It remains to be seen whether this new approach will have the desired effect and make a significant dent in the repair bill facing the council.