Council welcomes extra Government road maintenance funding
17 Nov 2023 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
The County Council has welcomed millions in extra funding to improve the condition of the county’s road network.
It comes after the Prime Minister announced last month plans to scrap part of the HS2 high-speed rail line and instead spend the savings on other projects.
The Government has now confirmed an extra £8.3bn funding will go to England's local councils over the next 11 years for road maintenance, with the area including the North East and Northumberland securing £3.3bn.
The Department for Transport said local authorities in England would get an extra £150m for road repairs this year, and the same amount for 2024 and 2025. The rest of the funding will be allocated over the next decade.
In Northumberland, an extra £2.768m will be coming to the county each year for the next two years, with a total uplift of over £184M over the next ten years - and Council Leader Glen Sanderson pledged it would be put to good use.
He said: “Extra investment to improve our highways is very welcome so this is fantastic news.
“Looking after roads in Northumberland is a key priority for this Council. But with a network covering over 3,100 miles it does bring challenges - so every extra pound we can plough into additional maintenance works will benefit road users up and down the county.”
Councillor John Riddle, Cabinet Member for Improving Roads and Highways, added: “The Council's main funding for highway maintenance comes from Department for Transport and is around £21m per year. In addition to this the Council has put in a further £17.5m in its own capital to improve road maintenance over the last three years.
“We are continually investing in our services to improve highway maintenance - whether for helping reporting, improving our management systems or improving plant and materials for repair.
“We’re now looking to plan in detail how best to use this extra money to get the best outcomes for residents across the county.”