Sustained pressure from Labour councillors over some of Ipswich’s worst potholes has secured rare action from Conservative-run Suffolk County Council.

Earlier this week Priory Heath councillors Sarah Barber and Bill Quinton appeared in the Evening Star highlighting the plight of local residents, with serious potholes being left unfilled more than six months after they were first reported.

Now their persistence has paid off, with repairs underway in Murray Road. Speaking at the scene Councillor Sarah Barber said “I’m really pleased to see the County Council have finally taken action and that repair works have started today. It doesn’t look as though they have finished the job, so I’ll be monitoring the situation and following up if needed. I also know there are many more potholes that need attention in Priory Heath and we’ll keep pushing for action on those too”.

Websites like FixMyStreet catalogue the huge number of potholes reported locally by Labour councillors and members of the public, but it’s rare to see Suffolk County Council take action to repair them. The Tory approach to highways, which combines cuts and lax maintenance standards with the use of private contractors has been nothing short of diastarous for Ipswich with our roads deteriorating further year on year.

Labour councillors will never stop demanding action on our poorly maintained streets. However, with a record of Tory failure at Suffolk County Council that stretches back 16 years, it’s clear that only a vote for Labour on 6 May can end ‘Shabby Suffolk’, fix our pothole problem for good and restore pride in our roads.