Written statement to Parliament

Roads maintenance

Allocation details of the additional £333 million for essential road maintenance.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government
The Rt Hon Sir Patrick McLoughlin

In the Autumn Statement earlier this month the Chancellor announced an additional £333 million for a dedicated fund to provide for essential maintenance to renew, repair and extend life of the highway network in England.

I am today publishing further details about this fund will operate. Of the £333 million, I have allocated £215 million of this fund to local highway authorities in England, with £140 million to be allocated in 2013 to 2014 and £75 million in 2014 to 2015. The remainder will be allocated to the Highways Agency for work on the Strategic Road Network.

It will be for individual local highway authorities to target the extra funds where it is most needed, for example on priorities such as road resurfacing, maintenance to bridges or repairing damage to the highway infrastructure caused by severe weather events, such as the recent flooding which had affected many colleagues’ constituencies.

To promote greater transparency I am also writing to local authorities explaining that each one will need to commit to publishing a short statement on its website at the end of each financial year setting out on what and where (in terms of location) this additional funding has been spent, and how it has complemented (rather than displaced) planned highway maintenance expenditure. I am also encouraging local authorities to consider how to minimise the disruption to business and other road users while the works are ongoing.

Published 18 December 2012