Local MP welcomes Government investment to fix pothole plague in Chester North and Neston

Samantha Dixon, Labour Member of Parliament for Chester North and Neston, has welcomed the Government’s plans for safer roads.

This comes in the form of up to £15,515,000 boost to repair roads and fix potholes across Cheshire West and Chester, as part of a record national £1.6 billion investment to repair road networks in England. 

The landmark investment – an increase of nearly 50% on local road maintenance funding from last year – goes well beyond the Government’s manifesto pledge and is enough to fix the equivalent of over 7 million extra potholes nationally in 2025/26. 

Across England, local highways authorities will receive a 40% uplift in funding on average as the Government looks to rebuild Britain as part of its Plan for Change. Fixing our roads and filling potholes not only makes roads safer, but they also improve journey times and save drivers money from avoidable repairs.  

It comes as figures from the RAC show pothole damage to vehicles costs each driver around £500 on average a year, with more severe repairs costing considerably more. According to the AA, fixing potholes is a priority for 96 per cent of drivers. 

The public is also being encouraged to report potholes in through a dedicated Gov.uk page:

https://www.gov.uk/report-pothole  

To further protect motorists given continued cost-of-living pressures and potential fuel price volatility amid global uncertainty, Labour froze fuel duty at current levels for another year at the last budget, saving the average car driver £59.  

Following the announcement, Mrs Dixon said: 

“I am pleased that this Labour Government is doing things differently and taking swift action to fix our roads. Drivers have been plagued by potholes for too long. Under the Conservatives the situation spiralled out of control, with pothole damage costing drivers almost £500 million.” 

”The impact of this funding will be transformative, with journeys in Chester North and Neston made safer, quicker and cheaper for drivers. This announcement goes well beyond the promises we made in our manifesto at the last election and shows that we’re serious about our Plan for Change, which will focus on investment and growth to put more money in people’s pockets and rebuilding Britain.” 

Deputy Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council and portfolio holder for Environment, Transport & Highways, Cllr Karen Shore commented on the extra funding:

““We are delighted to see the government take highways maintenance seriously and welcome the additional funding. After years of underinvestment, we are facing a crisis and we will only tackle this crisis with sustained commitment to funding but also a strategic approach to asset management that ensures good value for money and better outcomes for residents and we are delivering on that.”

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: 

“Potholes have plagued motorists for far too long, but this record investment will start to reverse a decade of decline on our country’s roads. 

“Too many drivers have to endure an obstacle course when on the roads – whether that’s to go to work, pick up children from school, or see friends. Potholes damage cars and make pedestrians and cyclists less safe. We are investing £1.6bn to fix up to seven million more potholes next year.  

“This government is firmly on the side of drivers. Every area of England will get extra cash to tackle this problem once and for all. We have gone beyond our manifesto commitment to back motorists and help raise living standards in every part of the country.”