Conservatives slash pothole fighting fund by 23% in Nottinghamshire – New figures from Mansfield Labour

New analysis from Mansfield Labour reveals the enormous Conservative £6.7million cut to the local road maintenance fund.

The cash promised to local authorities by the Government to repair damage on roads across the country has been cut by £375m.

It comes just weeks after the Chancellor urged people to “enjoy” National Pothole Day “before they’re all gone” and days after ministers boasted about funding given to councils this year – despite it being billions short of what is required.

Independent experts have found it will now take 11 years and £11bn to clear the backlog.

Mansfield Labour spokesperson said,

“Once again, this Conservative government is short changing Mansfield. Potholes are the scourge of our roads – they cause widespread damage to cars and bikes. The Chancellor promised they would all soon be gone – then cut the fund to get rid of them. That sums this government up.

“How is it they can afford billions in crony contracts for their friends but when it comes to fixing the roads we rely on in Mansfield, they tell us the cupboard is bare. It’s either incompetence or the wrong priorities – or a bit of both. Whatever it is, this chaos is holding our area back and it has to stop.”

Jim McMahon MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, said:

“It appears the Government is trying to quietly scale back its promises to councils and do them out of the cash they desperately need.

“Local authorities are being forced into economically illiterate tax hikes while motorists are left to contend with problems that will take more than a decade to fix.”

Ends

Notes to editors

1. New analysis reveals the 23%, £6.7million cut to highway maintenance funding in Nottinghamshire in 2021.
   Spreadsheet data, Nottinghamshire
2. This current financial year saw the first of the £500 million additional maintenance money that the Government promised previously – this was in addition to the £1 billion baseline that already existed; meaning councils got £1.5 billion in total.
   Budget 2020, March 2020, p79
3. Councils were originally promised £1.5 billion per year for highways maintenance, each year for the rest of this parliament. Instead they are going to get £1.125 billion for 21/22.
   This means councils will be facing a £375 million reduction in next financial year’s funding.
   National infrastructure strategy, p29
4. Future years funding beyond the next financial year will be determined in the next spending review.
   National infrastructure strategy, p29
5. In January the Chancellor confidently asked people to ‘enjoy #NationalPotholeDay before they’re all gone…’
   15. January 2021
6. Last year the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey found that:
   £11.14 billion – estimated one-time cost to get roads back into a reasonable, steady state up from £9.79 billion reported in 2019
   11 years – estimated time it would take to clear the maintenance backlog if local authorities had the funding and resources available to do the work.
   Asphalt Industry Alliance, 25th Annual ALARM, 23 March 2020