NORTH Yorkshire Council says it is about to start its annual road surface dressing programme - and will be heading to Craven towards the end of May.

In Craven, the council will be carrying out surface dressing in Cowling, West Marton and in Cross Hills, with residents being advised to check the council's roadworks map for when it will take place.

The highways capital programme totals £53 million for this financial year, of which £25.3m has been allocated to road schemes. This includes £5m for the surface dressing programme, running in April and May and covering 142 miles of roads.

A total of £6.7m will be spent on road patching at 300 sites, and a further £13.6m on road resurfacing schemes at 130 sites.

Surface dressing is a quick, efficient and cost-effective way of maintaining skid-resistant and waterproof road surfaces, helping to prevent potholes and extending the life of the road by up to ten years, says the council.

Karl Battersby, North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director of environment, said: “Keeping our roads in the best condition for the money we have available is one of our key priorities.

“The annual surface dressing programme is a proactive measure that is vital to maintaining a safe network and preventing potholes arising.

“We carefully choose the routes and work closely with our contractors to ensure we deliver a cost-effective scheme despite ongoing inflationary pressures. The schedule will benefit residents in all areas of the county.”

North Yorkshire Council’s roadworks map will include up-to-date details and dates of the works as the programme progresses. It can be found at www.northyorks.gov.uk/roadworks-map For more information about surface dressing, including advice for road users and residents during the work, visit www.northyorks.gov.uk/roads-parking-and-travel/roads-and-pavements/surface-dressing