MP welcomes new funding to fix roads in Hemel following record results to tackle the pothole plague

David Taylor MP has welcomed the news that across the country 7,000 miles of roads will be resurfaced this year, including over 1,150 miles in the East of England, following the record £7.3bn multi-year funding settlement the Government announced at the start of this year.

This is 10% more resurfacing than took place last year, with £4.9 billion total being spent this year, £800m more than before the current Labour government came to power.

In the East of England, councils will spend £650 million on road maintenance this year, almost £75 million more this year on fixing potholes and repairing roads. Every council in the region will complete preventative roadworks this year, stopping potholes forming in the first place.

The strategy is already yielding major local results in Hertfordshire, where 195 miles of roads have been resurfaced and repaired this year—a 53% increase—alongside nearly 25,000 potholes filled last year.

Following the publication of new transparency data from councils, the Government has released a further £220m of funding for councils across England, with further funding to be released later this year if councils meet their performance targets.

Labour says that by ending the sticking-plaster approach and moving towards long-term, integrated settlements, the Government is empowering local authorities like Hertfordshire County Council to deliver better roads for local people, and that this new data shows the Government’s plan is working.

David Taylor MP says:

“I am delighted to see improvements to road maintenance in Hemel thanks to the record funding that this Labour government is giving to councils like Hertfordshire County Council.”

“My constituents have had to put up with broken roads for far too long after a decade of underfunding under the Tories. Seeing 195 miles of Hertfordshire roads repaired—up 53%—and nearly 25,000 potholes filled shows that our plan is working on our doorstep."

“The £220m of new funding announced today will help councils go even further towards ending the pothole plague.”

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:

“For too long potholes have been a point of national embarrassment, forcing hard-working people to fork out for repairs and posing a danger to all road users. But today’s figures show that we are starting to turn a corner.

“While we know there is much more to do, our record funding, combined with tough new rules holding councils to account, mean that drivers are making smoother journeys while giving people roads they can be proud of.”