Pothole purge awarded growth funding

East Riding of Yorkshire Council has been awarded £16.7m of government funding through the Local Growth Fund for improvement of road surfaces in the region. The money will go towards a £23.9m project that will see around 100 surfacing projects carried out over the next five years. 

Roads to be resurfaced in the first year of East Riding's road improvement programme include the A1079 from Deepdale to Shiptonthorpe, the A63 near Newsholme and the A161 between Old Goole and Eastoft. According to the Department for Transport, the Growth Fund award will support business and housing growth in the area.

Transport Mnister Andrew Jones said: "Enhancing East Riding’s roads will ensure businesses and residents reap the benefits, driving job creation and economic development across the county. We are determined to build a Northern Powerhouse and this investment demonstrates our commitment to improving the roads in the area."

The funding award will also help to prop up diminishing capital funding allocations to East Riding, which has been allocated just over £11m for 2015/16. This amount, to cover all 3,400km of East Riding's road network, will gradually reduce to £8m by 2020/21 , unless the council can demonstrate it has reached the highest 'Band 3' level of road maintenance under DfT's new funding regime . According to the council's roads asset management plan, if it retains capital funding at £11m it will only be able to afford just over £1m a year for all 380km of A-roads in East Riding. 

The leader of East Riding Council, councillor Stephen Parnaby,  said: “This additional funding will allow the council to triple investment on maintaining our ‘A’ roads over the next five years. These are crucial links for those travelling between our main towns, and many people use these roads every day to get to work or school, and to access shops or see family and friends. 

“This extra funding will allow us to complete a programme of maintenance and repairs which will keep these routes in excellent condition for many years to come.”