Hucknall MP calls on Reform-led county council to deliver better roads

The ratings, introduced by the Labour Government to drive up standards and accountability, show Nottinghamshire Council receiving only an amber rating for overall performance and road condition.

Miss Welsh said this was despite the county gaining a major increase in available funding.

But a Hucknall Reform councillor said years of neglect and underfunding were to blame.

Since 2024, Nottinghamshire has received more than £8.4m in additional uplifted funding, with over £29.4m now allocated between 2024-25 and 2025-26 from the Government and the East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward (Lab).

Ms Welsh says this represents a 40 per cent increase in funding, intended to tackle long-standing issues such as potholes, crumbling road surfaces and deteriorating pavements.

She said: “This Government is committed to restoring pride in our communities, and that means finally getting to grips with the crater-marked roads and crumbling pavements that motorists have put up with for far too long.

"Nottinghamshire Council now has significantly more funding and, crucially, the long-term certainty councils have been asking for – allowing a shift away from costly, short-term fixes towards proper preventative maintenance.

"That is why it is disappointing to see the council rated only amber.

"Money alone is not enough; effective local management matters too.”

The MP also said poor road conditions were affecting communities across her whole constituency.

She continued: “From Hucknall to Ollerton, Ravenshead to Lowdham, residents see the same problems again and again.

"My constituents are right to ask why, despite increased funding, they are still experiencing unacceptable road conditions on roads managed by the county council.

"These ratings show that while the Government is stepping up, local outcomes are still falling short.”

Ms Welsh says she has written directly to the council and invited senior leaders to visit her constituency to see the scale of the problem first-hand.

She said: “My constituents expect and deserve better than the service they are currently receiving and I expect to see real, tangible improvements.”

In a post on Facebook, Hucknall county councillor Richard Darrington (Ref), said: “Every Tory and Labour MP, councillor, Tom, Dick and Harry are coming out of their potholes denounce the state of Nottinghamshire’s roads.

"Don’t get me wrong, they’re not wrong, they’re right in what they’re saying and consequently, all the relevant questions need to be asked and answered properly.

"So why are the potholes so bad?

"Well, it’s mismanagement and underfunding, it’s quite simple really, those two things capture everything.

"We know as a party and as a council where we’re at and we know what we’ve got to do and I don’t know one county councillor who’s not onboard and engaged with these potholes because they’re driving us crazy, as much as you (the public), if not more so, because we’ve got to solve the issues of it.

“And that’s what we’re doing, but it’s going to take time, it’s not going to happen overnight, this is our (Reform’s) first winter season.

"So I think what we’ve got to do is be patient and a little bit further down the line, maybe this time next year, we can have the conversation again and lets see what spring and summer deliver for us.

"I’m not going to say too much more other than please stop jumping into potholes with your wellington boots on and scraping the chippings around with your feet, just be patient, download the MyNotts app and lets identify where these potholes are.

"Get off the bandwagon and let’s just see where we are next year.”

Your Dispatch has contacted Nottinghamshire Council for comment.