POTHOLE campaigners have welcomed news that the county council more than doubled the money it spent repairing roads last year.

The local authority, responsible for the county’s roads, spent £11m on road repair projects in 2014/15 – up from £4.6m in the previous financial year – as well as £4.2m patching potholes – up from £3.8m – according to figures released by the Institute of Advance Motorists (IAM).

The 139 per cent increase in road repair spending by the county council was larger than any other local authority in England, with Cambridgeshire second and Norfolk third.

Motorist Paul Elliott, from Deer Park in Witney, has complained to the county council in the past about potholes in Corn Street in the town and on the A40.

The 49-year-old said: “I think the increase in money is a good thing but the key is making the repairs last longer.

“They need to be of a high standard so that they don’t have to be done again.

“In the past couple of weeks the potholes have got worse, particularly on the A40.

“The bad weather we have been having is causing the repairs to break up.

“If they are doing higher quality repairs with this money it would a good thing.”

Mark Morrell, also known as ‘Mr Pothole’, visited Witney last year to highlight the state of the roads in the area.

He said: “To a certain extent every individual pothole repair is a waste of money.

“The average cost is about £50 so you need a long term plan to eradicate them.

“It is good to hear that the county council is investing more in capital road spending, it is a long term, practical approach.

“But at the same time I have found access roads in the locality of Witney with potholes.

“There has been a lot done on the main strategic routes but when you go off onto the more local roads you can find some real defects.”

Mr Morrell said councils needed more money from central government to tackle the problem.

County council cabinet member for transport David Nimmo Smith said: “It is good news that we have got money to be able to deal with things such as potholes and bring the roads up to a better standard.”

On Thursday, the Oxford Mail revealed the county council had spent £142,282 on pothole compensation in the past two financial years.

Grandmother Mary Sitch, 89, from Bladon, tried for compensation after her car hit a pothole in 2013 in Lower Road, between the Main Road through Bladon and the A40.

She received nothing but said she hopes the extra spending means people are not left in the same position.

The 89-year-old said: “It’s a good idea to increase spending on road repairs, I would vote for it to keep going.”