THE Plaid Cymru leader on Caerphilly council for cuts to highways maintenance to be reversed as he says fewer potholes are being filled in.

And Cllr Colin Mann wants Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet to restore the £312,000 taken from the budget to fix the issue.

Around 2,000 fewer potholes were filled in during the last year as the budget for the repair work was cut, according to information obtained by Plaid Cymru.

A Freedom of Information request showed the number of pothole repairs fell from 8,327 in 2015-16 to 6,380 in 2017-18.

At April 2018 there were 1,541 potholes waiting to be filled while the budget for potholes has fallen from £641,399 in 2016-17 to a budget of £550,000 for the current financial year.

Plaid Cymru’s Cllr Colin Mann, said: “Unless the Labour-run authority reverse the £312,000 cut in the highway maintenance budget in 2018-19, it is inevitable that the waiting list for repairs will increase while there will be a corresponding fall in the number of pot-holes repaired.

“People across the county borough tell us that they are fed up with the deteriorating condition of roads and pavements. They say that council tax bills have been increased yet basic services are being reduced.

“If less money is being spent and fewer potholes are being filled, it would seem inevitable that the cost of claims for damage to vehicles will also rise in future years.”

Caerphilly council was invited to comment.