Nearly 700 potholes a day are being reported to Devon County Council – twice the normal rate – it has been revealed.

The staggering figure was mentioned at Devon County Council’s cabinet meeting on Wednesday when councillors were discussing the state of Devon’s roads.

The Capital Highway Maintenance Programme for 2018/19, which was unanimously approved by the cabinet, outlined who the budget of £50,330,168 would be spent.

But as part of the debate, councillors were told that the Beast from the East which show Devon covered in snow at the start of March has seen the state of the roads deteriorate.

Meg Booth, Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste, said: “The volume of potholes around Devon has certainly increased significant around the first big snowfall event.

“We are now at a level of around 650-700 potholes a day of being reported. I think that came as a shock to some people the high levels and volume when normally we get around 250-300 a day.”

Presenting the report, Cllr Stuart Hughes, Cabinet member for Highways Management, said that Devon County Council’s Capital Highway Maintenance Programme for 2018/19 would have a budget of £50,330,168, which would be split so £37,759,668 is spent on the Highways Structural Maintenance, £7.7m on the Bridge and Structures Programme, with the rest allocated to the Challenge Fund.

Cllr Hughes added: “The funding for 2018/19 also includes a £2.2m award from the Pothole Action Fund, which will be used to address the backlog on fixing potholes on the minor road network. This is in addition to £4.4 million of funding for pothole and storm damage repairs to Devon’s roads awarded by the Department for Transport.”

The report that survey data showed Devon’s ‘A and B’ road network has over the past 10 years remained in a relatively good and stable condition.

But it showed that there has been a gradual deterioration of the ‘C’ roads and unclassified roads, with 17 per cent of ‘C’ roads, up from 11 per cent in 2007-08, needing maintenance works immediately, and that 23 per cent of all unclassified roads need maintenance works immediately and a further 43 per cent of the roads are deteriorating.

Cllr Hughes added: “The figures show that for the A and B road network, we are holding it in a relatively good and stable state, so this reflects the investment that we have made in the priority routes. The C and unclassified network isn’t doing so well, so this is why the addition Pothole Action Fund is being targeted at this part of the network. This part of the network was also heavily impacted by the recent weather events, and so consequently this will see the need to increase the treatment later this year.”

Cllr Alan Connett said: “There is a lot to be done with not as much money as we would like, so to some extent, this is still a sticking plaster of fixing Devon’s roads. But I can see what is trying to be done and welcome the investment.”

Cllr Rob Hannaford said: “This is a positive report and extra money going into an area that needs extra attention, and I am seeing that some of the roads in my area that have been on the list are now starting to be done.”

Cllr Frank Biederman said: “The recent weather brought home the state of our roads and the repairs needed. I welcome the amount of effort that we have put in to getting the extra money for Devon’s roads.”