MKFM spoke to the Leader of Milton Keynes Council, Cllr Pete Marland, about his nickname Pothole Pete and the current state of local roads during a Q&A broadcast on Wednesday (30/6).
We asked listeners to submit questions for Cllr Pete Marland and one question was centered around the nickname 'Pothole Pete' that was given to him by MKFM's Darren Dorrington.
This is because, prior to the pandemic, Cllr Marland could regularly be seen out and about across Milton Keynes repairing potholes.
But one listener questioned whether the nickname was a "Tory slur". Cllr Pete Marland was quick to jump to the nickname's defence, by saying: "I don't necessarily see it as a slur. Having any name is recognition and is good."
He joked: "I'm a politician so I'm massively vain. But at the end of the day, politics is sometimes a bit knockabout and I don't think Pothole Pete is on the wrong side of the line. I have been called a lot worse."
During the interview, Cllr Marland addressed the state of the roads in Milton Keynes. He explained how the months December, January, and February are always "very difficult" because of heavy rainfall that contributes to the formation of potholes.
Cllr Marland adds: "You can't necessarily fix them to the extent that you want to. We fix emergency ones, ones that cause damage, like where people might come off their bikes or puncture a tyre. But we can't do major works when it's still frosty or it rains a lot, and so a lot of the major work takes place from the beginning of April to June and July before the strong summer heat comes in so this is the main time for fixing potholes."
Ringway, the Council's highways provider, has been busy repairing potholes over the past couple of months. Listeners have reported seeing improvements to major roads, and recently it was announced that the Council's highways team won a prestigious national award.
"{The situtaion] is improving," Cllr Marland responds when asked about the current situation of our local roads.
"We are in the top ten roads in the UK and as people travel more they will see that potholes are not unique to Milton Keynes but we actually have really good quality roads.
"There is definitely work to do, particularly on estates, so while we maintain our grid roads and major roads to a very high standard, there are some roads and side streets - like where I live in New Bradwell - that have bigger potholes and we are repairing more of those now."
Cllr Marland concluded by explaining that there is a "rolling programme of work" regarding potholes, and that road repairs are often scheduled far in advance.
Have you spotted a pothole near you? You can make a report to Milton Keynes Council by clicking here.
