We’ve given councils the cash to fix potholes – now they need to get on with it
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You wouldn’t think that John Cooper Clarke – the spiky-haired bard of Salford – and a cabinet minister would have much in common.
But me and the man who toured with Joy Division and the Sex Pistols share a specific concern: potholes.
It’s issues like this – issues that affect communities across the country – that I have been focused on during my time in the Cabinet Office, and I’m looking forward to visiting councils over the next few weeks to make sure they are tackling this pothole problem head on as part of my pothole tour.
In a recent interview, the Northern poet – whom I went to see perform at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool as a teenager – mentioned how he also “cares deeply about potholes” too, because he cycles around his neighbourhood. He said he doesn’t follow world politics but keeps a close eye on his local council because “that’s where the sharks swim”.
And when it comes to potholes, there have been choppy waters for some time.
Many people have despaired as their councils continue to overlook significant government investment, prioritising other matters and letting our roads reach a state of disrepair.
Addressing everyday priorities like this was central to the Prime Minister’s decision to cancel the Northern leg of HS2 – so that money can be redirected to where it is needed most.
Common sense in action
For me, this is common sense in action. It is vital that all parts of our national infrastructure – including our 187,000 miles of road in England – are resilient. Everyone – from businesses and emergency services to families – rely on our road network so it’s right that we invest in them.
Rishi Sunak’s decision to cancel HS2 has resulted in an additional £8.3 billion investment into roads and fixing potholes.
It is – quite simply – the biggest ever funding increase for local road improvements, and will help resurface more than 5,000 miles of damaged road.
This week, in their yearly survey, the Asphalt Industry Alliance – which represent suppliers, producers and contractors who work with Tarmac – found that local authorities were expected to fix 2 million potholes across England and Wales in this financial year – up 43 per cent on the previous year.
This is hardly surprising given the recent weather here in the UK – the flooding, the ice, the torrential rain – which has had a huge impact on our roads as well as the lack of maintenance for two years due to lockdown.
But there is no better time to fix the roof than when the sun is shining, so as we steadily creep towards spring, now is the time to fill those potholes.
We have been giving local authorities more funding than ever before to sort out this problem. Right now, an extra £150 million made possible by reallocated HS2 funding is available for each area, with a further £150 million top-up to follow in April at the start of a new financial year.
Already, some councils have been dealing with this straight away – and I commend them for their work.
Others haven’t seen it as a priority, and have given up common sense – not just for Lent, but all year round. So I’m here to say it is a big problem and it needs sorting now.
You don’t have to be a government minister or a world-famous poet to know that our roads need fixing. The fact that someone like John Cooper Clarke is speaking up about this shows how important tackling our pothole problem is to our communities throughout the country.
Councils have the money to make a difference and, as we approach spring, those councils have the opportunity to breathe new life into our roads – so they should blooming well get on with it.
Rt Hon Esther McVey is Minister without Portfolio in the Cabinet Office
