'Drivers will be pleased to see potholes fixed' says top driving group as councils 'held to account'
Councils in Shropshire have revealed how local roads will benefit from millions of pounds that the government is recycling from the doomed HS2 high speed rail project.
Across the West Midlands, including Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, the re-allocated HS2 funding means a total £910 million booster for the region's pothole and defect-strewn highways over an 11-year period.
The Government is putting councils under pressure to show how many of the pounds and pennies are being put into potholes and road resurfacing.
The first set of roads have already been resurfaced to make journeys safer, faster and smoother. Nationally the investment totals some £8.3 billion.
Councils in the West Midlands have already been paid over £15 million, with another £15 million following in this financial year.
The Department for Transport says a condition of the funding requires councils to publish a two year plan detailing exactly which local roads will benefit.
Members of the public can have a look for themselves on the websites of Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Councils. It is complicated however by the involvement of other funding pots.
Telford and Wrekin Council gets a government mention for using innovative ‘pothole pro’ patching technology.
Improvements carried out have already included to the A41.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “We’re on the side of drivers, which is why this Government is getting on with delivering our plan to invest £910 million in the West Midlands as part of the biggest ever funding increase for local road improvements, made possible by re-allocated HS2 funding.
