Last updated 11:37, Tuesday, 29 April 2008

When voters go to the polling booths on Thursday, they will be hoping to elect someone who can improve the issues that affect day to day life.

While potholes have not been at the top of any candidate’s agenda, they have certainly been bothering Cumbrian residents more than ever before.

It is reported today that insurance claims against Cumbria County Council have soared by 1,800 per cent for Carlisle, the worst affected region in the county.

While some of the claims are for trips and slips, most of them are from motorists, looking for compensation for damage to their cars from potholes.

This is a staggering increase, and something that must be addressed. People who pay motor tax and council tax rightly expect roads to be well-maintained but clearly there has not been enough investment in recent years.

Things are changing, slowly but surely, and an emergency £1million funding boost resulted in 10,000 potholes being filled in February, but this will be of little comfort to the many drivers already embroiled in lengthy insurance claims.

There are high hopes about Cumbria’s future. The Renaissance plans promise to revitalise Carlisle and make it a city its people can be proud of.

But any city has to have good, working infrastructure before it can really blossom, and that is something local politicians – of whatever party – have to consider carefully.