Councils in West Midlands could lose cash if they don't prove action being taken to fix potholes
Councils in the West Midlands will be required to prove they are taking action to tackle potholes or face losing cash in a new move by the Government.
From mid-April, local authorities will begin to receive their share of the Government's £1.6 billion highway maintenance funding, including an extra £52 million for the West Midlands.
But as of Monday (March 24), all councils must publish annual progress reports and prove public confidence in their work.
Local authorities who fail to meet these strict conditions will have 25 per cent of their pothole funding withheld, which is £13m for the West Midlands.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, has also unveiled £4.8bn funding for 2025/26 for National Highways to deliver critical road schemes and maintain motorways and major A-roads.
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 £600 to fix.
According to the AA, fixing potholes is a priority for 96 per cent of drivers.
The Government is delivering its 'Plan for Change' to 'rebuild Britain' and deliver 'national renewal' through investment in vital infrastructure which will drive growth and put more money in people’s pockets by saving them costs on repairs, the Department for Transport said.
The Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “After years of neglect, we’re unblocking the West Midlands' roads - fixing the plague of potholes, 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 per cent 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.”
Councils in the West Midlands will have to publish reports on their website by June 30 detailing how much they are spending, how many potholes the have filled, what percentage of their roads are in what condition and how they are minimising street works disruption.
Local authorities in the region will also be required to show how they are spending more on long-term preventative maintenance programmes and that they have robust plans for the wetter winters the country is experiencing, which is making potholes worse.
By the end of October, councils must also show they are ensuring communities have their say on what work they should be doing, and where.
The public can also help battle back against pothole ridden roads by reporting them to their local council, which can be done on the Government website.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer added: “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 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 and handed 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.”
