Councils could lose pothole repair funding, government warns
Councils have been told they risk losing a share of their pothole repair funding if they can’t prove they are tackling the issue in their areas.
For the first time every council in England will be expected to report the number of potholes they have repaired.
Failure to do so could result in them losing a proportion of the £1.6bn highway fund that government has set aside to tackle the pothole crisis in the country.
To secure all the allocated funding, councils will be expected to publish annual progress reports highlighting how much money they are spending and how many repairs have been carried out.
Long term strategy
They will also have to outline long-term plans showing how they plan to maintain roads in the future and that local communities have been consulted on pothole repair strategies.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has said that councils who do not do this could lose up to 25% of their share of the funding.
Pothole repair funding
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “The broken roads we inherited are not only risking lives but also cost working families, drivers and businesses hundreds, if not thousands of pounds, in avoidable vehicle repairs.
“Fixing the basic infrastructure this country relies on is central to delivering national renewal, improving living standards and securing Britain’s future through our Plan for Change. British people are bored of seeing their politicians aimlessly pointing at potholes with no real plan to fix them. That ends with us.
“We’ve done our part by handing councils the cash and certainty they need. Now it’s up to them to get on with the job, put that money to use and prove they’re delivering for their communities.”
Heidi Alexander added: “The public deserves to know how their councils are improving their local roads, which is why they will have to show progress or risk losing a quarter of their funding boost.
“After years of neglect, we’re tackling the pothole plague, building vital roads and ensuring every penny is delivering results for the taxpayer.”
