Government reveals the roads being resurfaced with reallocated HS2 funds

Local authorities have published which roads will benefit from the first tranche of an £8.3bn package of reallocated HS2 funding.

In November, the government announced the investment to tackle badly surfaced roads and pothole-ridden streets. 

Councils have already been paid £150m to get on with the work and deliver improvements, with another £150m following in this financial year. 

As a condition of this funding, and to make sure money is being spent on pothole repairs, local authorities are required to publish a two-year plan detailing exactly which local roads will benefit.

Today (April 10), the Department for Transport has revealed 102 of the 119 authorities that received funding have responded to the department’s survey request to set out their plans, meaning local people can now check their local council’s websites to see the plans for themselves.

Among the regions pledging to resurface the highest volume of roads are the West Midlands (600,000 square metres) and East Midlands (350,000 square metres), with plans outlined for problem spots across the country including:

• A43 at Towcester
• A164 between Beverley and Hessle
• A4146 at Leighton Buzzard

Residents in areas such as Southport and Sunderland have already seen major resurfacing work take place, thanks to the £150m already invested as part of the road resurfacing funding allocations, made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Alongside this unprecedented funding, which is already being used to improve local roads, we’re making sure local people can hold their local authority to account and see for themselves how the investment will be spent to improve local roads for years to come.”

Having submitted their first reports last month, councils will now also be required to submit quarterly reports from June 2024, announcing work which has taken place over three months, meaning local people will now regularly be able to scrutinise the progress their local authority is making to tackle potholes.

The government’s long-term plan to improve local road networks across the country could save motorists up to £440 on vehicle repairs and is the biggest ever uplift in funding for local road improvements.