The state of Lancashire’s roads being attributed to ‘one of the wettest winters on record’ is not an accurate statement.
That is the verdict of analysis by The Lancashire Lead after working with the Met Office last week.
The Reform UK administration at Lancashire County Council has been under fire from opposition councillors – and the public – for much of this year due to the amount of potholes on the roads.
Read more: Preston food waste bin collections start – everything you need to know
Cllr Azhar Ali, leader of the Progressive Lancashire official opposition – a coalition of independents and the Green Party – said in February of the current condition of Lancashire’s roads that residents were “sick and tired of replacing their damaged suspension [and getting] punctures [and] ripped tyres”.
And Cllr Mark Jewell, the Lib Dem who represents Preston South West, has accused Reform of breaking a pre-election pledge to fill “every pothole”. He added: “We have seen potholes like craters on the moon on our streets.
“This is, in part, due to the ‘blobbing’ repairs undertaken by the previous administration that are now falling…[but we] also need to invest more money for more targeted repairs to get on top of the sorry state of our roads. Do it once, do it properly.”
The answer back from County Hall – from elected members of Reform UK and the authority itself – has been to point to a particularly wet winter for the damage to the roads.
Cllr Goldsworthy, Reform UK’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said in February that ‘the roads are in a terrible state and have been since Christmas.’
He added: “I get [that] it’s a stick to beat [us] with, but…the last 6-8 weeks have done terrible damage – and we will get on top of it.”
And a spokesperson for the County Council said this month: “We know people are frustrated by the number of potholes after one of the wettest winters on record, which has caused widespread damage to road surfaces.”
But while England had its eighth wettest winter on record – including record rainfall in the West Midlands, Cornwall and Leicestershire, Lancashire had less rainfall this winter than the yearly average.
For the period running from 1 December until 28 February, Lancashire saw 336.4mm of rainfall which is 95% of the typical amount.
December saw 142.8mm which was 102% of average. January saw 84.6mm which was 74% of average. February saw 108.9mm of rainfall which was 110% of average.
March, not a winter month, saw 112.3mm of rainfall which is 134% of the average.
But even in February and March, wetter than usual, the Met Office said that they ‘are not considered particularly high and not within the top 10.’
Figures going back as far as 1836 showed that the wettest February on record was actually in 2020 when 295.8mm of rainfall was recorded.
The wettest March in Lancashire was in 1981 when 254.1mm of rain was recorded. The second wettest was in 2019 when 171.8mm was recorded.
A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “Despite some wetter spells, Lancashire recorded slightly less rainfall than average this winter, receiving around 95% of its long‑term meteorological average for the season.
“While individual months varied – with February wetter than normal and January notably drier – the overall pattern mirrors what we’ve seen across the UK, where rainfall has been unevenly distributed across the months rather than consistently above or below average.”
Cllr Aidy Riggott, leader of the Conservatives at County Hall, said that the figures show the Reform UK leadership is turning to excuses to deflect from their failure to get a grip of the county’s pothole problems.
He said: “It’s easy for the Reform administration to try and blame the weather for the state of the county’s roads, with many residents openly saying the roads are the worst they have ever seen.
“Residents though are long past caring about the weather, they just want their roads fixed promptly.
“It is now well into April, the roads are still a mess and Reform are so far from delivering on their ‘fix every pothole’ pledge, it is frankly laughable.”
Support Blog Preston: Keep our community reporting going and view the website without any adverts too. Sign up for a membership today.
Stay updated: Keep in touch directly with the latest headlines from Blog Preston, join our WhatsApp channel and subscribe for our twice-a-week email newsletter. Both free and direct to your phone and inbox. Help us report too, by contacting us if you see something we should be reporting on.
Read more: See the latest Preston news and headlines
