Seems here in the West of England authority we can beat those ‘Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire’ – to quote a line from John Lennon’s A Day in the Life lyrics.
Bath and North East Somerset Council is to share in a government Pot Hole Fund handout which – across the combined authority will be enough to fill in 140,000 of the blighters.
The West of England Combined Authority has been allocated £7m by the Department for Transport (DfT) to fix potholes across the West of England.
The funding will go to Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire councils to repair potholes and fix other road maintenance issues across the region.
- £2.19m for Bath and North East Somerset Council
- £2.1m for Bristol City Council
- £2.82m for South Gloucestershire Council
It is the second of 5 instalments from the government’s £2.5 billion Potholes Fund. With the average pothole costing around £50 to fill in, the funding will mean that the equivalent of approximately 140,000 potholes can be fixed in the region.
West of England Mayor Tim Bowles said:
“Potholes on our roads can be dangerous to both drivers, cyclists and those using our new e-scooters so I welcome this funding that will make our roads both safer and easier to drive, scoot and cycle on.
“The improvements I’m bringing to our transport network are getting the region moving, however you choose to travel. From improving our roads and supporting our buses to making it easier to cycle and walk right across the region.
This is alongside our longer-term plans for a mass transit public transport system, an extended MetroWest rail network and new Metrobus routes to make it easier to get to the jobs and training opportunities that will secure our recovery.”
Transport Minister Baroness Vere said:
“We know potholes are more than just a nuisance – they can be dangerous to drivers and cyclists alike, and cause damage to thousands of vehicles every year.
The funding allocated will help councils ensure roads in their area are kept up to standard, and that the potholes that blight road users can be dealt with promptly.”
The West of England Combined Authority, as regional transport authority, brings partners together to improve transport across the region, to provide sustainable, long-term solutions to help people move around the region more easily, to reduce congestion and improve the environment.
