OKEHAMPTON and Moretonhampstead are among the locations to see road dressing works in the coming months as part of a programme by Devon County Council.

Surface dressing is being carried out at around 650 sites across the county.

Alongside its preventative schemes, the county council is continuing to carry out its reactive work to repair potholes and safety defects and more than 60,700 potholes have been filled since the start of the year.

Cllr Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council cabinet member for highways, said: 'Devon County Council's preventative maintenance strategy is very similar to almost every highway authority in the country.

'It is in everyone's long term interest to prevent our highway network from deteriorating to a point where more costly treatments are needed, which is why a "worst first" approach to repairing our roads is less cost effective.

'For all roads, including those that we cannot afford to fully restore, safety remains a priority and that is why we have a separate reactive maintenance process for dealing with potholes and defects.

'Patching has to be carried out before we can apply surface dressing, and although there will be a gap between patching and surface dressing, the two processes are complimentary in preventing further more costly repairs in the long run.

'Together they help protect roads against frost and water ingress damage. Residents can be assured that this work is necessary and will extend the life span of their local roads.

'It is also very important to remind motorists that there is an advisory 20mph limit after the work has been completed as some of the chippings may be loose before they are swept.

'Devon's road network was badly hit by last year's flooding, and we are still dealing with the legacy of those repairs.'