Extra £1.7m for pothole repairs

The constant work needed to patch up Lincolnshire’s roads has been given a boost thanks to a government grant of more than £1.7m.

Lincolnshire County Council said more than 4,000 potholes were dealt with in December 2017 alone and this winter’s weather has been “especially bad” for roads.

Coun Richard Davies, Executive Member for Highways and Transport, said: “While this extra £1.7m will make a difference, there’s much more to be done, and we would like to see even greater government investment in our local roads.”

The £1,736,514 is in addition to the £2.5m already granted from the government.

Coun Davies said the plight of Lincolnshire roads highlights the general funding issues the county faces. “We spend around £50m on highways maintenance each year,” he said. “While this sounds like a lot of money, we have 5,500 miles of road to maintain and that funding will only go so far. That’s why we’re calling on the Government for fairer funding for Lincolnshire.”

“If councils here received the average funding for council areas in England, the region would benefit from £116 million of extra funding for services every year – some of which could be used towards highways repairs. That would make a massive difference.”

To report a pothole, call 01522 782070 or visit lincolnshire.gov.uk/faultreporting