Emma Foody MP raises action on potholes in Commons
Emma Foody, MP for Cramlington and Killingworth, has asked the Secretary of State for Transport about the funding gap faced by local authorities as they try to tackle pothole backlogs on local roads.
Speaking in the House of Commons the Labour and Co-op MP said “Local residents tell me of their frustration at the epidemic levels of potholes that exist across the constituency, after 14 years of failure to grasp with the problem. Motorists, all too often are the ones who will pay the price. Does the Secretary of State agree with me that local councils like Northumberland, North Tyneside, and Newcastle, in my constituency, will benefit from proper long term funding to allow them to plan works and carry out repairs?”
Responding Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, said “I totally agree with my honourable friend. We need to get the basics right as a country and fixing our roads are the first step to getting our economy firing on all cylinders. We did see a decade of decline and under investment under the previous Conservative government. The additional £500 million that we have allocated, if it were to all be used to fill potholes, would fill another 7 million potholes every year, smashing our manifesto commitment to provide funding for an extra million.”
Speaking after the debate, Emma Foody MP said “For over a decade now local authorities in the North East have faced huge backlogs in road maintenance. Cuts by successive Conservative governments have left roads across our country in a poor state. We have seen vehicle damage claims rise in that time and a growing number of injuries for road users, particularly cyclists. I am glad to see that the Government is investing another £500 million into our roads to help meet and exceed our commitment to fix one million potholes each year.”