Reform UK councillors have hit out at "false" claims that fewer potholes are being filled in Staffordshire.

Philip White, Conservative Opposition Group Leader at Staffordshire County Council, said that "deciding to pause new pothole repairs last summer has left the roads in a terrible state", claiming there had been a 15 per cent drop in pothole repairs Reform UK's first six months in control.

But Martin Murray, who was elected as council leader earlier this year, said that more potholes had been filled during Reform UK's first year in power, compared to the average in recent years. And the cabinet member responsible for strategic highways, Peter Mason, said that claims of a pause on pothole repairs last summer were "completely false".

The condition of Staffordshire's roads has remained an issue for many residents and motorists across the county. And some shoppers in Stafford felt that roads had got worse during the past year when interviewed by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Speaking in March, Conservative Shadow Strategic Highways Cabinet Member Councillor Simon Tagg said: "Residents are now seeing some of the worst roads we have ever experienced and it's no coincidence. Reform's much-trumpeted highways 'roadmap' is looking more like a car crash.

"You have to fix roads when conditions are right. Instead, Reform chose to slam the brakes on repairs for months during the best possible weather, leaving Staffordshire completely exposed when the wet winter arrived.

"The result? Thousands fewer potholes fixed, and thousands more appearing."

Speaking at the latest cabinet meeting, Councillor Murray said: "For many residents, the clearest test of whether we are delivering is the condition of our roads — and as weather improves, expectations rise. Throughout April, we have fixed 845 potholes a week on average.

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"There has been a lot of misinformation floating around – false claims that this Reform UK administration is filling less potholes than previous administrations. Quite simply that is not true.

"We're actually filling more – within just one year, we have filled five per cent more potholes than the average from the previous five years, and that rate is set to increase even more. Try as some may, there's no arguing with the data.

"This kind of improvement, in such a period of time, is precisely what happens when residents provide a mandate of change that their elected representatives actually act on.

"But there is still more work to do – that's why we've invested an extra £15m to work on so-called 'low priority' defects – the ones that have previously been ignored, only to turn into major defects later.

"It's a marathon, not a sprint. But we have started the important work that will shift the decades backlog that was left for us."

Road repairs were questioned at this month's full council meeting. Councillor Rhys Machin said: "Opposition councillors have claimed that a three-month pause in pothole repairs last summer worsened road conditions and demonstrated a lack of progress compared with previous plans – can the cabinet member clarify why this decision was taken, what has changed since, and how the council is now ensuring highways maintenance is proactive and consistent?"

Councillor Mason said in a written response: "It is completely false to say that there was a pause on pothole repairs last summer.

"Indeed, the data shows that work continued right through the summer months and for the whole year we completed 33,186 pothole repairs.

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"Going forward, through the new Staffordshire Highways Roadmap to a Better Network, our focus is on moving away from isolated, short-term fixes towards earlier intervention and more durable, preventative treatments.

"This includes targeting whole sections of road rather than individual defects, investing in surface treatments that extend asset life, and improving coordination of works to reduce repeat disruption.

"This approach is being supported by significant investment, with over £72 million allocated to highway maintenance in 2026/27 and additional local funding to address lower-level defects before they escalate.

"Alongside this, we are continuing to prioritise safety-critical repairs while strengthening our planned maintenance programmes across all areas of the county.

"Taken together, these measures will enable a more consistent, proactive and efficient service that slows network deterioration, reduces the need for repeat interventions, and delivers more sustainable improvements for residents over time."