Plan for change tackles pothole plague
But to get the full amount, all councils in England must publish annual progress reports and prove public confidence in their work. Local authorities who fail to meet these strict conditions will see 25% of the uplift (£125 million in total) withheld.
A further £4.8Bn funding has also been revealed for National Highways to deliver critical road schemes and maintain motorways and major A-roads. This cash will mean getting on with pivotal schemes in construction, such as the A428 Black Cat scheme in Cambridgeshire, and starting vital improvements to the A47 around Norwich and M3 J9 scheme in Hampshire, building thousands of new homes, creating high-paid jobs, connecting ports and airports, to grow the economy and deliver the Plan for Change.
It comes as figures from the RAC show drivers encounter an average of six potholes per mile in England and Wales, and pothole damage to cars costs an average of £600 to fix. According to the AA, fixing potholes is a priority for 96% of drivers.
Prime Minister, 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.
“Not only are we investing an additional £4.8Bn to deliver vital road schemes and maintain major roads across the country to get Britain moving, next month we start handing councils a record £1.6Bn to repair roads and fill millions of potholes across the country.
“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.”
The Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “After years of neglect we’re tackling the pothole plague, building vital roads and ensuring every penny is delivering results for the taxpayer.
“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 25% of their £500M funding boost.
“Our Plan for Change is reversing a decade of decline and mending our pothole-ridden roads which damage cars and make pedestrians and cyclists less safe.”
The £4.8Bn for National Highways will protect the country’s strategic road network, which provides critical routes and connections across the country for people, businesses and freight to help drive growth as part of Plan for Change.
The fund includes a record £1.3Bn investment to keep this vital network in good repair, so the network remains fit for the future, and £1.8Bn for National Highways’ daily operations that are critical to ensuring the network runs safely and smoothly for millions of people and businesses that rely on it every day. As well as £1.3 billion for essential improvement schemes to unlock growth and housing.
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