COMPLAINTS about the condition of roads across Cheshire East totalled more than 18,000 in 2013 and 2014.

The research was carried out by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), also showed the local authority spent £15.6 million on repairing the region’s roads in the 2013/14 financial year.

The number of complaints, which were recorded by Cheshire East in 2013 spiked at 13,759, which by 2014 had dropped to 4,448.

The FSB submitted Freedom of Information (FOI) requests in an effort to discover the number of complaints from the public relating to potholes and how much was being spent on their repair.

Simon Edmondson, Regional Chairman for the FSB in Manchester & North Cheshire said: “People in Cheshire East aren’t happy with the roads, although there seemed to be a spike of complaints in 2013.

“There’s a serious point to our research though, and that is when SMEs are paying huge sums for business rates they expect local roads to be of sound repair.

The FSB conducted the research in response to a poll of its members earlier this year that asked in which areas their members would like to see more investment locally. In total, 37 per cent of respondents chose ‘repairing the region’s roads’, ahead of both ‘major transport infrastructure’ (31per cent), and ‘better apprenticeships’ (24per cent).

He explained: "The research we’ve done suggests many feel they aren’t getting value for money and are crying out for councils to spend a bit more on making the roads of an acceptable standard – although it seems Cheshire East is making progress.

“Most businesses rely in some way on roads to do business, whether it’s for their staff to get in to work or customers to come and spend with them. Having to navigate a pothole minefield which can damage cars and also be hazardous for pedestrians doesn’t help businesses.”

The FSB research also looked at how many claims were made by drivers. In Cheshire East there were 163 claims made for the two years 2013/14, although just 17 were successful. The roads which triggered the highest number of complaints were Over Road, Church Minshull, in 2013 – although this has since been resurfaced.

In 2014, it was Hall Lane in the Moston area of Congleton. This area has also now been resurfaced