Government Pothole Funding for Bedford Borough Falls Short

Commenting on the Government's announcement today of an allocation of £137,000 for Bedford Borough from its Pothole Action Fund, Mayor Dave Hodgson has revealed that this is a 'tiny fraction' of the investment required to keep local roads in a decent condition.

The borough's allocation from the fund was announced as part of a national funding package which, according to the Local Government Association, would have needed to be 230 times larger to bring the country's roads up to a good standard.

Commenting, Mayor Dave Hodgson said: "Any extra funding is welcome, but while the government will proclaim that it is fixing the roads, in the real world this funding is a tiny fraction of the amount required to keep our roads maintained to a decent standard. A national survey has shown that 230 times more funding than the amount announced today is needed to repair the country's roads.'

"Here in Bedford Borough, we are simply not prepared to allow the condition of local roads to threaten the safety of road users. Despite dealing with unprecedented cuts in funding for the Council, we are having to add over £1.8 million to the national funding for the Borough in this year alone to ensure the roads are in a decent condition."