Councils across the East Midlands are set to receive £75 million to repair their roads, the government has today (20) announced.
In a Christmas boost for drivers, the huge £75,735,000 investment will go to the East Midlands Combined County Authority, led by Labour Mayor Claire Ward, and is part of a wider £1.6 billion pot of cash – an increase of nearly 50% on local road maintenance funding from last year – and is enough to fix the equivalent of over seven million extra potholes in 2025/26.
Across England, local highways authorities will receive a £500m uplift in funding as the Government looks to rebuild Britain as part of its 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 the cost of pothole damage to vehicles is around £500 on average, with more severe repairs costing considerably more.
According to the AA, fixing potholes is a priority for 96 per cent of drivers.
The public is also being encouraged to report potholes in their area to their local council through a dedicated Gov.uk page.
Each local authority can use its share of the £1.6bn for 2025/26 to identify which of their roads are in most need of repair, and to deliver immediate fixes for communities and raise living standards across every area of the country.
To further protect motorists given continued cost-of-living pressures and potential fuel price volatility amid global uncertainty, the government has frozen fuel duty at current levels for another year support hardworking families and businesses, saving the average car driver £59.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has now told councils to ‘get on with the job’.
He said: “Broken roads can risk lives and cost families hundreds if not thousands of pounds on repairs. That’s a cost that can easily be avoided by investing properly in our roads.
“Through our Plan for Change we’re determined to put more money back into the pockets of hardworking people and improve living standards. That’s why we’re giving councils funding to repair our roads and get Britain moving again – with a clear expectation that they get on with the job.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Potholes have plagued motorists for far too long, but today’s record investment will start to reverse a decade of decline on our country’s roads.
The Government has said it will make sure authorities spend the money wisely, collect the right data, and deliver proactive maintenance before potholes start to form.
The funding has built-in incentives, with 25% of this uplift held back until authorities have shown that they are delivering.
On top of this funding, the Transport Secretary is announcing a clampdown on disruptive street works, doubling Fixed Penalty Notices for utility companies who fail to comply with rules and extending charges for street works that run into the weekend.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “This is the biggest one-off road maintenance funding settlement councils in England have ever been given, so we have high hopes it’s the turning point that ends the degradation of our roads and finally delivers fit-for-purpose, smooth surfaces for drivers and all other road users.
Edmund King, AA president, said: “We urge councils to focus on permanent and innovative repairs rather than adopting a ‘patch and run’ approach. Better maintenance of the road network is the number one concern of drivers as damage costs a fortune and potholes can be fatal for those on two wheels.
I will believe it when I see it ?