Council gets £2m grant to fix potholes

Local authority says it welcomes Government cash to repair roads

POTHOLES across the district could soon be smoothed over after West Berkshire Council received £2m from the Department for Transport.

The money is West Berkshire’s share of the £420m handed to councils to improve potholes, which Chancellor Philip Hammond announced in his autumn budget in October.

The additional money has been made available in a bid to help local authorities fix potholes and carry out other repairs after the harsh ‘Beast From the East’ winter and a scorching summer, which took its toll on road networks across the country.

By the end of this financial year, West Berkshire Council will have already invested £3.6m on resurfacing and a further £1.06m on other road repairs to maintain the district’s 1,292km road network.

The announcement was welcomed by West Berkshire Council executive member for highways and transport Jeanette Clifford (Con, Northcroft), who said: “We are delighted to have received this money.

“As a council we are committed to ensuring the roads in West Berkshire are safe and well-maintained.

“This additional money is welcomed and will enable us to carry out further improvements to the road network, such as pothole repairs, better drainage and clearer road markings and signage.”

All road-related problems can be reported to the council directly by visiting www.westberks.gov.uk/reportaproblem.