20.06.14
Every council that bid for pothole cash gets a share
All 148 local authorities that applied for funding through the government’s £168m Repair the Pothole Fund have been successful and will receive a share of the extra money, the DfT has revealed.
However, a greater share is being provided to a number of ‘model’ authorities that were able to demonstrate best practice in highways maintenance. These councils have invested in new technology and initiatives.
Authorities that have demonstrated good practice include Northamptonshire (£3.3m funding), which has set up systems to track pothole repairs in real time; Hampshire (£6m funding), which has extra pothole fixing equipment in place to make effective and speedy repairs; and Lancashire (£4.9m funding) for its work forging links with other highways authorities, suppliers and contractors to allow it to tackle potholes more effectively.
As a condition of receiving the money all local authorities are required to publish quarterly progress updates on how many potholes have been repaired.
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “Potholes are the bane of all our lives and the funding announced today is an important step in ridding our roads of this menace.
“But it is only one part of a massive programme of investment to get our country up to speed as part of this government’s long term economic plan. By building, repairing and renewing our key infrastructure we will ensure the future growth and prosperity of this country.”
It is hoped that the Fund will help councils fill more than three million potholes across the country’s local and major roads. The additional £168m pothole funding was announced by the Chancellor in the March Budget, following the extreme winter weather that hit England during the early part of 2014.
To view the full list of councils that will receive funding, click here.