EVERY year, Bradford Council decides to spend a stupid amount of money laying down a scratch coat on various roads in the district.

This is a Government grant to most councils, money the council has to spend otherwise it loses it.

The money could be better spent elsewhere – there are many roads in the district that need pothole repairs, the village of Laycock could do with resurfacing.

Unfortunately these scratch coats only lay down temporary cover which damages paintwork on cars, and because of the sharp grit, only enhances the quick wear of tyres.

MALCOLM BALMFORTH Keighley

* A Bradford Council spokesman responds: “We carefully manage our roads maintenance fund in order to make it go as far as possible.

“We regularly assess the district’s roads and carry out conventional road resurfacing as well as early preventative repairs which save time and money.

“Surface dressing is commonly used across the country as a cost-effective way of maintaining highways. Although the surface of the road can initially look different, it quickly beds in and creates a robust surface.

“Extremely harsh winter weather earlier this year created thousands of potholes across the UK. We have already started fixing affected stretches of road and individual potholes within Bradford district.

“People can report potholes by calling 431000, using our Bradford Council app or by going on our website.”