A WINDFALL of more than £87m will be spent on fixing potholes across Oxfordshire from next year.

The announcement yesterday will see the county council receive the share from a pot of £6bn spent on improving roads between 2015 and 2021 across the UK.

Council leader Ian Hudspeth said it was the first time councils had been told how much they would be getting in advance.

Between 2009 and this year, the county council has been given more than £92m.

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But Mr Hudspeth said while they were getting less over the next six years, the funding allocated in advance would allow the council to plan its road maintainence programme, making it more efficient.

He said: “I think it’s great because it give us an indication of the amount of funding that we have for the next six years which means we can plan work more effectively with our contractors.

“The problem with year-on-year funding is that you can’t plan for the future.

“Another major advantage is that we can repair greater sections of road in one go, which increases efficiency.

“We can stop roads getting into a bad state at an earlier stage and we can repair them before the winter when they are susceptible to frost and snow.”

Asked whether the funding was enough, Mr Hudspeth said: “It depends what quality of road surface people expect.

“If you look at the quality of the surface recently put on the Hinksey and Kennington roundabout, it’s of a very high quality, but we need to ask ourselves if we want that kind of surface on every road in Oxfordshire.”

In September, the Oxford Mail reported that the council said budget cuts meant that resurfacing all of the county’s roads would only be completed once every 255 years.

Mr Hudspeth, below right, said yesterday nobody had yet done a recalculation of this figure based on the new levels of funding.

He would not be drawn on which specific roads need the most work, but said it would be those most heavily used.

Unveiling the funding plan yesterday, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the funding would put an end to short-term fixes.

He said: “This huge investment is part of our long-term economic plan to ensure we have a transport network fit for the 21st century.”

Spokesman for the county council Dominic Llewellyn-Jones said it recently announced a new plan for roads which he said would ensure money was focused on maintaining roads to a “manageable state” across the county, rather than focusing on the worst roads first.

The plan forecasts that the number of roads in the county that will fall into a poor condition will rise slightly in the 2020s – but aims to make sure the number of roads in a good condition remains higher than it would if only the poorest roads were focussed on.

But the council’s vice-chairman John Sanders said: “It’s good news, but it’s definitely not enough.

“What the county are doing at the moment is a quick fix.

“It’s a good step but I’ve a feeling the money isn’t enough to prevent the deterioration of our roads.”

Taxi driver Saj Malik, 46, said he thinks much more is needed to fix roads in Oxford itself.

The Lower Leys resident had to spend £200 replacing the tyres of his black cab recently after just eight months, which he claimed was due to roads such as London Road and Cowley Road being so uneven.

He said: “Every day there is a new pothole.

“Government money is appreciated but it doesn’t go far enough.

“When you compare it with roads in countries like Germany and Denmark, it is terrible. This is just a drop in the ocean.”

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Nicola Blackwood said: “For decades our local roads network has been neglected, causing commuter misery and stunting local economic growth. At last the Government is investing the money our community and local economy needs not only for long-term improvements but also for vital maintenance. I will be doing whatever I can to make sure this money goes exactly where it is needed most.”

Mr Hudspeth said councillors would sit down with highways officials after Christmas to work out where the money will be spent.

  • Where do you think the money should be spent? Email our reporter martin.elvery@oxfordmail.co.uk or call 01865 425426.

THE FUNDING

  • The council will get £16.6m for 2015/16, £15.3m for 2016/17, £14.8m for 2017/18, £13.4m for 2018/19, £13.4m 2019/20 and £13.4m 
  • In 2014/15 the council was allocated £13.3m for roads maintenance
  • The Department for Transport has allocated funding to local authorities based on need. Reading is to get £7.6m and Berkshire £54.8m
  • The council will also be able to apply for further funding through a new pot to help repair and maintain highway infrastructure such as junctions, bridges and street lighting. 

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