The Department for Transport has today (15/2) promised to invest half a billion pounds to fix potholes across the country.
Local authorities across England have been allocated their share of £500 million for highways maintenance, with the funding expected to fix the equivalent of 10 million potholes across the country.
Milton Keynes Council has been given £2,843,000 to fix potholes across the city following a frosty winter. With the average pothole costing around £50 to fill in, this means the equivalent of 56,860 potholes can be filled in this year.
This pothole funding is part of this year's £7.9m total funding awarded to Milton Keynes Council by the Government for local roads maintenance.
Both of Milton Keynes MPs have welcomed the funding and are calling on the council to use the funding as quickly as possible.
Ben Everitt, the MP for Milton Keynes North, said: “I know residents are fed up with potholes damaging their cars and bikes all across Milton Keynes and it’s not just costly and annoying, it’s dangerous too.
“I’m glad the Government is once again providing money to the Council to fix potholes and for other road maintenance in MK and I hope they used the allocated funds as quickly and effectively as possible.”
Iain Stewart, the MP for Milton Keynes South, added: "I welcome the Government's announcement of over £7.9 million to fix potholes across Milton Keynes. It has been a harsh winter with existing potholes getting worse and new ones appearing.
"I would urge the MK Council to utilise this funding to make repairs to our roads to ensure the safety of road users."
This big injection of cash is the second of 5 equal instalments from the £2.5 billion Potholes Fund, providing £500 million a year between 2020/21 and 2024/25, announced by the Chancellor in the 2020 Budget – and is part of wider funding the DfT provides for road maintenance, totalling over £1.1 billion across England in 2021/22.
In other news, Milton Keynes Council also announced today (15/2) that the local authority will be investing an extra £150,000 in pothole repairs over the next few months.
£50,000 will immediately come from reserves, with the remaining £100,000 being made available from the end of March.
READ MORE: Council will invest an extra £150,000 to repair potholes across Milton Keynes
