£8.7m new funding to fix potholes and repair roads in Liverpool City Region
Liverpool City Region is set to benefit from smoother, safer roads thanks to a £8.7m investment to fill potholes and repair pavements, announced today.
The Government has allocated the funding to Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to help deliver road and walkway repair and resurfacing projects across all six boroughs of the city region – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.
The investment is in addition to almost £4m secured last year to upgrade and repair key parts of the highway network, including bike paths, bus lanes and foot paths.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said:
“For far too long, local councils have been left scrambling to fix our roads with one hand tied behind their backs after years of funding cuts. Communities in the Liverpool City Region bore the brunt of that neglect, with potholes becoming a daily frustration and a symbol of the wider disrepair caused by austerity.
“Now, with a new government that’s serious about rebuilding from the ground up, we’ve got a chance to put things right. I’m determined to make sure that every pound coming to our region delivers real benefits.
“With this investment, we have a real opportunity to create smoother, safer journeys for everyone. It’s about more than fixing roads; it’s about fixing lives, making it easier for people to get to work, school, or even just enjoy the simple pleasure of a family day out without fear of damage or delay.”
The new funding is part of a £1.6bn government commitment to fix potholes across England over the next year.
An increase of nearly 50% on local road maintenance funding from 2023, the funding well beyond the Government’s manifesto pledge, and is enough to fix the equivalent of more than seven million extra potholes in 2025/26.
The Government is also making sure authorities collect data and deliver proactive maintenance before potholes start to form. The funding announced has built-in incentives, with 25% of the uplift held back until authorities demonstrate they are tackling potholes and poor road surfaces.
The public is also being encouraged to report potholes in their area to their local council on Gov.uk.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:
“This country has suffered for too long with roads plagued by potholes, which cause expensive damage to cars, are unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists, and represent a visible decline in our national infrastructure.
“Our record £1.6bn investment for the next year alone will start to turn the tide, enough to fix the equivalent of up to seven million more potholes next year.
“Every area of England will benefit from an uplift, which goes beyond our manifesto commitment and will raise living standards in every part of the country.”
The Government is also announcing that at least 50% of surplus lane rental funds will be reinvested into highways maintenance, so that even more roads can be improved. Lane rental schemes allow local highway authorities to charge companies for the time that street and road works occupy the road.
Additionally, the Department for Transport is also consulting on devolving powers to approve lane rental schemes, which is currently with the Secretary of State, to local Mayors. This will support the delivery of more lane rental schemes and put power back into local hands.