CONSERVATIVE councillors have criticised a "sticking plaster" approach to pothole repairs by the Reform UK administration at Staffordshire County Council.
The authority has set a target of filling 40,000 potholes by March 2027, spending an additional £15million to help achieve it.
A report from the county council has also said the number of roads in Staffordshire rated as being in good condition has increased.
But the Conservative opposition group said that a reliance on quick fixes such as velocity patching and temporary repairs risked wasting millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money.
Cllr Philip White, leader of the Tory group on Staffordshire County Council, said:
"This sticking plaster approach is typical of Reform’s approach to running Staffordshire’s services – setting a target for yourselves so you can declare it 'achieved' through quick fixes does little to improve the long-term condition of our roads.
"More and more potholes have the letter T painted on them, meaning they are temporary repairs, but our experience is that these repairs are left without a permanent fix and quickly fall into disrepair.
"Residents are telling us that they are already seeing repairs completed this summer that are deteriorating."
The velocity patching method involves spraying a mix of aggregate and bitumen emulsion directly into potholes, allowing crews to fill a high volume of defects quickly.
The Conservatives say such repairs are designed to last for no more than two years, warning that many will fail before long due to wet and cold conditions.
Temporary repairs, meanwhile, see cold pour tarmac pushed into a pothole using tools.
Cllr White added:
"In a world where there is never enough money for road repairs, it is really worrying that Reform may be wasting £15million of taxpayers’ money on fixes that will only last a couple of years instead of full road resurfacing and other long-term solutions.
"We will be closely monitoring the repairs completed this summer and would encourage members of the public to share their experiences of repairs around the county."
