Swindon MPs Justin Tomlinson and Robert Buckland have welcomed the news that Swindon Borough Council is set to benefit from £4.9million of Government funding to repair potholes across the borough.
The money is part of more than £500 million being given to local authorities across England from the £2.5 billion Potholes Fund announced at the 2020 Budget, and is part of wider funding the Department for Transport provides for road maintenance, totalling over £1.1 billion across England in 2021/22.
It is estimated that thousands of roads across England could see the equivalent of 10million potholes fixed thanks to this additional funding.
The government is committed to supporting motorists. Through Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2), the government is investing £27 billion in the biggest ever roads programme – with £10 billion of the record-breaking sum specifically for road maintenance, operations and renewals.
Since 2015, the Government has invested heavily in pothole filling, including the £296 million Pothole Action Fund, which ran from 2015/16 to 2020/21. In addition to this, in 2018 the Government provided a one-off £420 million boost all highway authorities in England.
South Swindon MP Robert Buckland and North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson said:
“We know that potholes are a very real concern for residents, who are worried about the damage they cause to vehicles and the dangers they pose to road users. We are delighted that Swindon will be receiving this significant investment to tackle the issue and improve road surfaces.