CAMPAIGNERS are urging councils to repair roads and pavements damaged in this month’s cold snap

Kirklees Council announced in September a five-year plan to fix the £40m-plus backlog in repairs needed to minor roads across the area.

But the AA has now estimated a 40% increase in road damage from freezing weather bringing potholes in the UK to 1.5 million – and another survey revealed many pavements need repairs.

AA president Edmund King said: “Once again the fabric of our local roads is a major cause for concern with surfaces crumbling and drivers and riders at risk of damage to their vehicles and even themselves.

“We have gone from a salt crisis to a hole crisis. We have indeed had a bad winter but the poor state of our local roads has visually got worse in the last few weeks.”

The freezing weather has taken its toll on the roads.

Water gets into cracks and holes in the road surfaces and when it freezes into ice, it expands and makes the cracks larger.

One of Kirklees’ worst roads is Mill Bank Road which runs between Holmfirth Road and Meltham Mills Road in Meltham.

Although the road is regularly used it is covered in pot holes and the surface is crumbling away due to piecemeal repairs.

Clr David Woodhead said: “It is especially bad on the bend near Manor Houses and this makes driving potentially very dangerous.

“Highways officers have been out and assessed the condition of the road as being in a poor state.

“The time for talk is over. The council now needs to do something so the problems are put right.”

And the problem doesn’t end with roads.

While Kirklees pavements were in a better than average condition for Yorkshire, some 22% were in need of repair from 2007/08 according to the Audit Commission.

Now the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) is urging councils to fix their pavements to reduce injuries from accidents.

CSP spokeswoman Lynn Sutcliffe said: “If local authorities act sooner rather than later to fix the pavements that need repair, many unnecessary falls could be avoided.”

Last year council highway departments paid out £65 million in compensation.

A Kirklees spokesman urged people to report potholes which need repairing by ringing 0800 731 8765.