FIXING potholes across the county is high on the list of priorities for the Liberal Democrats, their leader in Wiltshire has said.

The Lib Dems stormed to victory at last week’s Wiltshire Council election, bringing an end to 25 years of Conservative rule.

Now, Lib Dem leader councillor Ian Thorn is preparing to get stuck in, and he has already announced his cabinet – as previously reported.

He says his party has three main aims they want to tackle in Wiltshire: potholes, unwanted developments and the lack of health infrastructure – all of which he says were the main issue brought up by residents.

Cllr Thorn said: “We will have to look very seriously at how we find the resources to do more and to improve our highways over the long-term – not simply just filling in potholes but making real improvements.

“The second big issue that came up on the doorsteps was unwanted and unplanned development, which is principally caused by Wiltshire Council not having a five-year housing supply.

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“The third main issue was the lack of health infrastructure, whether it’s access to NHS dentists, doctor’s surgeries or health facilities.

“Wiltshire needs to play a much more central role, working with partners in the NHS to provide those services and those facilities.”

Potholes have been, and seemingly will always be, a contentious issue in the county, with voters bringing this up to cllr Thorn while he was doorstepping prior to the election.

In fact, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage took the time out to visit a pothole-ridden street in Larkhill to play pothole golf when he came to the county last month, urging Wiltshire Council to take action.

Sadly for Farage, the road he was in uproar about is owned by the MOD – not Wiltshire Council.

Nigel Farage posing for a photo with Ben Thornbury who invited him down to Larkhill to play pothole golf Picture: Ben Thornbury

Wiltshire Council revealed in March that their £22 million package to improve highways throughout the county saw more than 114 miles of roads resurfaced, with 14,758 potholes repaired following reports from the public in 2024.

It says the £22 million investment is on top of the £20.7m it receives from the government to fund highway maintenance.

A Wiltshire Council spokesperson previously said that while other councils are cutting budgets, they are investing in Wiltshire’s highways to fix problems and preventing issues before they happen.

“We know that there is still work to do, but we also know that things are improving in Wiltshire, as evidenced in the recent Department for Transport road condition survey,” the spokesperson said.

They added: “There is much more to do, but we are focused on improving our highways network, and our significant investment is paying off in all parts of Wiltshire.”

While the Lib Dems may have secured the most seats at Wiltshire Council following the election on May 1, they are still short of having an overall majority, leaving the council in a state of no overall control.

The first power test will come later this month on May 20 where the new leader and cabinet members will be formally elected.