DEVON County Council's Cabinet has approved its highway maintenance budgets for 2014/15.

Councillors agreed a revenue budget of £29.107 million to fund reactive work such as pothole repairs, winter gritting and snow clearance and routine maintenance such as cleaning highway drainage systems, gully emptying and street light repairs.

As a result of the severe winter weather, pothole numbers have increased substantially since the start of the year. The number of potholes which have been reported on Devon's roads has increased from around 2,000 in December, to about 7,500 in January, and about 7,900 in February.

The County Council is to receive from the Department for Transport, a share of £80 million Severe Weather Recovery Scheme for the areas worst hit by the winter storms and funds from the extra £103.5 million to be divided among councils across the country to repair winter damage.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, DCC cabinet member for highway management and flood prevention, said: "We have 34 repair teams, nearly three times as many teams as normal, working on potholes.

"Prior to this winter the A and B road conditions were at target and the C road condition had stabilised.

"Unclassified roads account for more than 50 per cent of network but only a third are in good condition and a third need significant work now. The winter storms and persistent rain have caused significant visible damage and will have weakened the underlying structure of the roads in the county.

"The recent announcements from the DfT of additional funding to deal with pothole problems that highway authorities across the country are facing will be helpful in managing the increased demand on the revenue budget. "We have applied to the Department for Transport for a share of the Severe Weather Recovery Scheme money, as well as asking Government for a £15 million capital injection into our highway capital works budget."

On deciding where to cut £4.4 million from the revenue budget Devon County Council, carried out its "Tough Choices" consultation in November and December. This received almost 1,500 responses.

Among the reductions in this month's agreed budget to take effect from April 1, include:

The gully emptying schedule will be amended, saving £330,000. Gullies that do not require an annual clean will be emptied less often to allow problem gullies to be targeted more frequently. A total of 79 per cent of responses supported this reduction.

Although the County Council will continue to inspect and deal with trees on the highway for which it is responsible, it says it will stop proactively surveying private trees close to the highway. It says this will save a further £300,000 and was agreed by 79 per cent of respondents.

A total of 73 per cent agreed that only road markings and studs related to safety will be maintained, saving £286,000.

A further £270,000 will be saved on street lighting through the implementation of further part night lighting schemes and, where safe to do so, through optimising repairs when two or more lights become faulty. This received the support of 71 per cent of respondents who either agreed the proposal or agreed to the budget being cut further.

Grass cutting of the one metre wide strip next to minor rural roads will stop to save £200,000. These verges will only receive cutting for safety reasons and in every third year to their full width – which was backed by 69 per cent of respondents.