Chorley councillor warns of pothole risk for bikers

A motorbike-riding councillor from Chorley has warned that the number of potholes on Lancashire’s roads is putting the lives of two-wheeled travellers like him at risk.

Cllr Matthew Lynch says bikers are uniquely vulnerable to crumbling carriageways – and the depth of many of the defects found on them – in ways that other road users are not.

“Motorcyclists know that every time you go out, you’ve got to have your wits about you [for hazards]. But now it’s like I’m just focusing on the road [surface].

“You’re weaving in and out – and [it’s often] really bad when you’re turning into corners.  So you go in, you’re leaning over – and what happens if it’s a pothole around the other side?   Bang, you’re off.

“It’s [difficult enough] during the day, when you can see them – but what [about] at night-time, when all of a sudden you’re hitting something?

“We’re getting to the point now where somebody’s going to get killed,” Cllr Lynch said.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the problem was particularly acute around Rivington – a part of the county he says is home to some of the North West’s most popular routes for bike riders.

The Labour councillor, who represents the Chorley North West ward on Chorley Council, is not without sympathy for highways bosses at Reform UK-run Lancashire County Council, because of the difficulty he acknowledges they face in prioritising repairs.

However, he believes the authority could be doing a far better job – and says the contrast on his regular journeys across the border into the separate Blackburn with Darwen Council area is stark.

“They’ve done their side – and it’s beautiful.   But then I literally come to a line and I know I’m in Lancashire, because the roads are appalling,” Cllr Lynch claimed.

He cited a patchwork of potholes on the A674 Chorley Road in Withnell, including one that has formed a tramline revealing what would once have been the kerbside before the road was widened.

“If I get my wheel stuck in that, I’m coming off,” he said.

In response to the concerns raised by Cllr Lynch, a spokesperson for Lancashire County Council said:  “We know people are frustrated by the number of potholes after one of the wettest winters on record, which has caused widespread damage to road surfaces.

“All reported potholes are inspected and assessed on site, with defects prioritised based on the level of risk they pose to road users. Following inspection, those presenting the greatest safety concern are prioritised within our standard response times – and repairs are carried out where potholes meet our intervention criteria.

“Following a review of our inspection policy, changes to our highways response categories have been approved, focusing on five‑day and 20‑day repairs. This helps ensure response times are clear, realistic and applied consistently across the network.”

Potholes have to be 40mm deep before County Hall deems them to be in need of repair.  In addition to the target response times of five days and 20 days for routine repairs of different priority levels, the authority also aims to respond in under four hours to “emergency” issues and within two working days to those considered “urgent”.

The county council expects to spend at least £28m fixing potholes that appear during the course of the 2026/27 financial year.   A further £21m has been set aside for pre-planned resurfacing projects across more than 100 routes selected for ordinary maintenance.

The overall highways maintenance budget for the next 12 months stands at £72m – a figure that also has to cover the upkeep of infrastructure such as bridges, streetlamps and traffic lights. The cash pot is made up of £48.2m in government funding, supplemented by £18.4m agreed at the county council’s budget last month, along with unspent money carried over from last year