LABOUR councillors have questioned whether Barnet Council will be able to ensure standards of pothole repairs are maintained as staff strive to meet their self imposed deadlines.

Tory bosses announced this week they are aiming to complete work on filling the remaining cracks in the borough's roads by the end of October.

The cabinet member for the environment, Councillor Brian Coleman, said this “push”, which included getting the potholes repaired on principle roads by the end of the month, would improve safety across the borough.

But Councillor Kath McGuirk, the Labour group's spokeswoman for the environment, said safeguards should be put in place to ensure the work is carried out to a level that will last.

She said: “I admire Councillor Coleman's ambition. But it is about the quality of the finish, not just the quantity.

“There has been no indication on how much money it will cost and how much is available, so questions remain how they will deliver on these claims.

“It has gone on for a long time and only now are they giving us timescale. It does seem more of a gimmick than a reality.

“There is no scrutiny in environment and relies on the opposition putting it on agendas. There is no checking from officers over the quality of the finish.”

With heavy snow and a cold spell which lasted from December through to February, the council has been forced to respond to more than 9,000 potholes so far this year.

But the council has been informed of an “underlying downward trend” in the condition of many roads in the borough An audit report by the director of environment and operations last month outlined a “risk register” which included focus on the condition of roads and pavements.

In the document, it stated: “There is a risk that there will be insufficient investment to mitigate the underlying downward trend in road condition.”

In April, a report by a cross-party Road Resurfacing Task and Finish Group, said that even in the 2008/09 Place Survey, 39.87% of Barnet residents identified road and pavement repairs as something most in need of improvement.

Members also reported the condition of roads and pavements “is one of the issues most frequently raised by residents”.

And despite the group finding neighbouring boroughs including Harrow, Brent and Camden “maintained their highways network to a higher standard than Barnet”, they concluded the arrangement for monitoring the quality of subcontractors work against the contract specification are “adequate” and recommend retention of the existing arrangements.