A nationwide programme of pothole repairs and road resurfacing projects, made possible by the first tranche of £8.3 billion in reallocated HS2 funding, has been revealed - with the first set of roads already having been resurfaced to make journeys by road safer, faster and smoother.
Last November, the Government announced unprecedented investment to tackle badly surfaced roads and pothole ridden streets. 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.
As a condition of this funding, and to make sure money is being spent on pothole repairs, local authorities are required to publish a two-year plan detailing exactly which local roads will benefit.
On Wednesday 10th April, the DfT revealed 102 of the 119 authorities that received funding have responded to the Department’s survey request to set out their plans, meaning local people can now check their local council’s websites and scrutinise their plans for themselves.
Among the regions pledging to resurface the highest volume of roads are the West Midlands (600,000 square metres) and East Midlands (350,000 square metres), with plans outlined for problem spots across the country including: the A43 at Towcester, the A164 between Beverley and Hessle, and the A4146 at Leighton Buzzard.
Residents in areas such as Southport and Sunderland have already seen major resurfacing work take place, thanks to the £150 million already invested as part of the road resurfacing funding allocations, made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.
An initiative intending to bring increased transparency to how local councils deliver taxpayer-funded improvements, local people can now immediately see the benefits to their area made possible by reallocated HS2 funding, holding their local authority to account for delivering local road improvements.
The DfT has been clear with those local authorities that have failed to publish reports that they could see the withdrawal of future funding to resurface roads. Local people are encouraged to check their authority websites and see which roads are planned to be maintained.
All of the £19.8 billion saved from the Northern leg of HS2 will be reinvested in transport across the North, all of the £9.6 billion saved from the Midlands leg will be reinvested in transport across the Midlands, with the £6.5 billion saved through the new approach at Euston being spread across every other region in the country. Projects and improvements in the South and East of England are made possible by savings from Euston.
Having submitted their first reports last month, councils will now also be required to submit quarterly reports from June, announcing work which has taken place over three months, meaning local people will now regularly be able to scrutinise the progress their local authority is doing to tackle potholes.
The Government’s long-term plan to improve local road networks across the country could save motorists up to £440 on vehicles repairs and is the biggest ever uplift in funding for local road improvements.
The reporting requirement has not only shown the areas which are planned to benefit, but also highlighted how emerging techniques and equipment are being used by local authorities up and down the country to tackle potholes, including the use of durable carbon neutral material in South Yorkshire, industry leading ‘dragon patching’ equipment in Suffolk, innovative ‘pothole pro’ patching in Telford and Wrekin and artificial intelligence being used for highway inspections in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
This Government is backing drivers, and alongside the unprecedented road maintenance funding, it is delivering for motorists through the Plan for Drivers, including ensuring traffic schemes like Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and 20mph speed limits have buy-in from local people, cutting congestion and accelerating the rollout of electric vehicle chargepoints.
Motorists will also be able to enjoy smoother journeys following the introduction of new measures to crackdown on disruptive street works, with utility companies that allow works to overrun facing increased fines, which could generate up to £100 million extra to improve local roads.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “It’s very encouraging to see so many local authorities quickly setting out how they’ll use the first tranche of the Government’s reallocated HS2 funding to improve their roads.
“Drivers will be pleased to see potholes fixed and roads resurfaced, especially as our research shows the poor state of local carriageways is their number-one concern.
"We hope councils will also use this extra money to carry out vital surface dressing work which helps prevent cracking in the cold winter months by sealing roads against water ingress. The prime time for this life-extending work is between April and September, so time is of the essence.”
The local authorities who have not responded to the Department's survey request to set out their plans are:
The following local authorities have indicated to the Department that their plans will be published very shortly:
A total of 19 taxis have been stopped in and around Cambridge in a crackdown on vehicle safety and parking on double yellow lines.
London cabbie Farid Cheheb, 60, fatally injured Irish barman Shane Scannell, 44, who died in hospital four days later surrounded by his devastated family.
Sam Bradley’s actions left the victim with a broken leg and broken ankle, said Sarah Tyrer, prosecuting.
New data has confirmed the city as the country's private hire vehicle capital - with a licensing rate a staggering 500 per cent higher than the second-placed location.
The repetitive action of pressing the car accelerator pedal activates certain neural pathways that promote relaxation and reduce stress levels.
The single zone could bring about a new 'knowledge test' covering the whole of North Northamptonshire if plans are approved.
Erewash Borough Council is looking to hike a wide range of fees applying to taxi and private hire drivers for the first time since 2019.
A taxi driver whose dangerous driving caused a pedestrian's death just sixteen minutes after he had been warned about his speed by the police was jailed for six years and ten months on 2 May.
North Yorkshire Police said a man ordered the taxi from Pickering to Scarborough, but when the taxi arrived at the seaside town, he ran away without paying.
A sign has appeared on Railway Approach this week reading: “No parking. A £100 penalty notice (reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days) may be issued to any vehicles parked in this area.”