WE got away with it this winter. Hardly any frost, next to no snow and thank goodness for that really, because the latest assessment of the state of York’s roads makes grim reading.

Andy Binner, the city council’s head of highways, says the problem is that up to 2012-13 we experienced some of the worst winter conditions in 30 years. So despite this year’s respite, an extra £2 million will have to be found to repair York’s residential roads and footpaths.

Coun David Levene, the authority’s new cabinet member for transport, may claim that York’s road network “consistently ranks amongst the best in the region”. But commuters will tell you another story, because most of the main arterial roads were pretty awful for years, until the recent spate of repairs made a huge difference.

Sadly residential streets are too often overlooked when it comes to highway maintenance budget provisions, so we welcome the announcement that those most badly affected will be addressed.

And let’s not forget pavements. Holes in the road may be annoying for motorists, but the damage can be easily. A broken ankle on the other hand can be debilitating for weeks, so we are pleased that pavements are being given the same priority as roads.

Salt is the biggest culprit and with no alternative prohibiter to ice, potholes will always be a problem. But the billiard table surfaces adorning North Yorkshire roads to be used for the Tour de France shows what can be achieved, despite the worst winters in 30 years.

Let’s hope York’s residential streets and footpaths will soon look just as pristine.