• Labour announces £8.6 million to fix potholes in the West Midlands as part of record £1.6 billion investment across England for 2025/6
• The Government is also clamping down on disruptive street works
• Funding goes well beyond the Labour’s manifesto pledge, helping councils fix the equivalent of seven million potholes next year and saving drivers hundreds of pounds in repairs
• England’s roads have been plagued by potholes for too long, and the Government is investing to boost infrastructure as part of its Plan for Change
Preet Kaur Gill MP, Labour Member of Parliament for Birmingham, Edgbaston, has today marked National Pothole Day by welcoming the Government’s plans for safer roads. This comes in the form of up to £8.6 million to repair roads and fix potholes in the West Midlands, 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 seven 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 for drivers in the West Midlands the cost of pothole damage to vehicles is 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.
Labour’s approach is in stark contrast to the Tories’. Under the last Government, damage to cars cost drivers almost £500m and car insurance went up by more than £200 on average in just two years.
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.
This Labour Government is delivering its Plan for Change with investment and reform to deliver growth, improving living standards in the West Midlands and across the country by putting more money in people’s pockets and rebuilding Britain.
Preet Kaur Gill, Member of Parliament for Birmingham, Edgbaston, said:
“On National Pothole Day, I am delighted 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, after 14 long years of Tory neglect. 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 Birmingham 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.”
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.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
• National Pothole Day takes place on the 15th January
• The breakdown for funding across England is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-maintenance-fundingallocations/highways-maintenance-block-formula-allocations-2025-to-2026
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