MORE THAN £4,500 of funding has been allocated to repair and resurface roads in Worcestershire over the next two years.
The cash is from the £139.2million given to Worcestershire County Council as part of the Government’s long-term plan to improve local roads.
A nationwide programme of pothole repairs and road resurfacing projects has been made possible by the first tranche of £8.3 billion in reallocated HS2 funding.
The first set of roads have already been resurfaced to make journeys by road safer, faster, and smoother.
Councils have already been paid £150 million to get on with the work and deliver improvements, with another £150 million following in this financial year.
Cabinet Member with responsibility for highways and transport Coun Mike Rouse said: “We are grateful for the additional £4,766,000, which will be spent in the 2024/25 financial year having arrived at the end of the 2023/24 financial year.
“This comes on top of our third year in a row of increased investment in the county’s roads in line with our corporate plan.
“Worcestershire’s roads are amongst the best in the UK when compared to other authorities but we can always do more.
“We do carry out regular inspections, but public reporting really helps the pounds stretch further and ensures we focus on the defects that are causing the most problems first.”
Rachel Maclean, MP for Redditch has welcomed the funding.
She said: “I know from speaking to people across Redditch and the Villages how frustrating potholes and poor-quality roads can be.
“That’s why I am delighted with the plan to improve journeys for drivers across the country, funding road and pothole repairs, and committing £139,243,000 over the next ten years to improve roads across Worcestershire.
“By sticking to the plan to improve roads and fix potholes across the country, the Conservative Government is making journeys by car and bike faster, more reliable, and more comfortable.”
Visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk/council-services/travel-and-highways/report-road-or-path-issue/report-pothole to report a pothole or damage to the road or pavement surface to the County Council.
