£3.2 million to be used to fix potholes in Bristol and surrounding area
A BUDGET windfall of £3.2 million will be used to fix potholes created by severe weather conditions during the winter.
Chancellor George Osborne announced he was doubling the cash available to tackle the problem which means a one-off payment of £723,000 for Bristol, £854,000 for Bath and North East Somerset, £732,000 for North Somerset and £897,000 for South Gloucestershire.
But critics accused the government of using "smoke and mirrors" to make the payment, pointing to the cuts announced in December to transport funding for the region that totalled £4m.
That was for small-scale projects like road safety schemes, bus priority routes, walking and cycling schemes and transport information schemes.
Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, who announced the allocations last night, admitted the cash was made possible as a result of savings the department made earlier in the financial year.
He had already announced £100m as an exceptional payment to help tackle the higher than usual number of potholes. That was doubled in Wednesday's budget.
Mr Hammond said: "Potholes are a menace to all road users and I want councils to make fixing them a priority.
"That is why, when more funding became available, I agreed with the Chancellor that we would double the amount of money we provide for repairs to be carried out."
Details of what the cash has been spent on must be published by local highway authorities by the end of September.
5 Comments
by Hedgehog, Horfield
Friday, March 25 2011, 1:13PM
“Blimey! You could have two cycle bridges for that money.
Mallards (ducks rapidly)”
by Bill, Bristol
Friday, March 25 2011, 11:57AM
“Doesnt really matter how much they repair the potholes, within a matter of weeks, the gas, electric, telephone or water people will come along and dig it all up again, these companies are the real problem as far as potholes are concerned, and should be made to resurface the whole width of the road on any section they dig up, filling in a channel with tar very obviously doesnt work or last very long before it collapses.”
by Anthony Butcher, Long Ashton
Friday, March 25 2011, 11:17AM
“Obviously it is good news if there is to be more cash available for pothole repairs. It's almost as if there are local elections looming.
While they are at it they could reconsider the size of holes they classify as potholes. At the moment they have to be 4cm deep and more than 30cm across. That still leaves some nasty holes that won't be fixed.
I am also not sure why central Government is allocating 'pothole' cash, other than to get media coverage. Surely councils should decide how and where the money is best spent locally?”
by steve, utterby
Friday, March 25 2011, 10:06AM
“Any repairs to our roads is most welcome as my tyres are very expensive and don't last long on bad roads as you'll see if you watch this short video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFbFmezhM6c .Time well spent.”
by David, Southville
Friday, March 25 2011, 9:49AM
“732 K extra for Bristol is probably 732 potholes filled. A good start, but after the frost damage from last two severe winters you can cycle past 100 deserving causes per mile in central Bristol.
However, it gives fewer excuses for North Somerset- where does their road budget go? Into some vicious circle of paying-off damage to cars and people caused by potholes? Makes Bristol seem first-world in comparison.”