Chichester MP Gillian Keegan says potholes in city are 'great cause for concern'

Responding to an article published earlier this month detailing some of the worst potholes in and around Chichester city centre, readers chimed in to give their take on an issue which has plagued West Sussex roads for as long as anyone can remember.

Reader Denisa Dervish wrote: “I've cracked my wheel for the second time recently due to amounts of potholes in and around Chichester.” Another reader, Karen Wheeler said: “Church Road and Shore Road in the Witterings have massive potholes. The one in Church Road is so big that just over half of a traffic cone is visible and drivers have to drive on the wrong side of the road to avoid it.”

Gillian Keegan, the MP for Chichester and Secretary of State for Education also commented on the issue that has been faced by residents. She said: “Potholes are a blight on our roads and pose a significant risk to drivers. Some of the examples I've seen around Chichester, as well as on more rural roads, are a great cause for concern for me and the residents.

"To tackle this, it was announced in February that the Government had allocated an additional £2.16 million for resurfacing in our area as part of the savings made from the cancellation HS2 phase two. This is on top of over £3 million given to West Sussex County Council for road repairs as part of the 2023 Spring Budget.

“While this is a significant increase in funding, I know that day-to-day many are still affected by poor road quality so regularly raise cases of dangerous potholes on behalf of constituents directly with Matt Davey, the Assistant Director of Highways at West Sussex County Council.”

Residents can report potholes through the dedicated County Council website (www.westsussex.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/report-a-pothole-online).