Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Pothole and Highway Repairs

03 November 2020 · 5 other contributors · 3,678 words

Opened by Jonathan Gullis Con Stoke-on-Trent North

Responding minister: Rachel Maclean

Transport

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Jonathan Gullis raised concerns about pothole and highway repairs in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • MP raises concern over insufficient investment in roads by Stoke-on-Trent city council, despite 5 million annual funding.
  • MP notes funding formula disadvantages smaller cities like Stoke-on-Trent compared to larger urban areas with greater resources.
  • MP asks government to unlock transforming cities fund for Stoke-on-Trent and introduce new funding considerations based on traffic incidents and road type.

Key requests to Government

The MP asks the government to unlock the transforming cities fund money promised to Stoke-on-Trent and to introduce new considerations in the funding formula that would top up cities like Stoke-on-Trent based on traffic incidents and road type, rather than just road length. He also seeks support for a fairer allocation of funds through the Department for Transport.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Jonathan Gullis Con Stoke-on-Trent North

The MP is concerned about the lack of investment in roads by previous administrations of Stoke-on-Trent city council, stating that even with current high levels of investment (£5 million a year), the city lacks sufficient resources. The funding formula works against cities like Stoke-on-Trent, which have lower council tax bases and smaller parking surpluses compared to larger urban areas such as Westminster, where £70 million is available for road maintenance through parking surplus alone. He notes that Stoke-on-Trent receives a one-off £6 million highways challenge fund grant but requires more consistent funding.

Other contributors (5)
  • Emma Hardy Lab Kingston upon Hull East

    The MP emphasizes the need to improve road surfaces and pavements to enhance community attitudes and city look. She highlights heavy traffic as a significant issue, causing damage to roads not designed for high volumes of traffic.

  • Jo Gideon

    I agreed with my hon. Friend and constituency neighbour's remarks, emphasizing the benefits of resurfacing key sections of the Stoke-on-Trent road network and supporting a transforming cities fund bid to provide similar cross-city benefits.

  • Lisa Nandy Lab Wigan

    The MP supports the need to address unfairness in current funding formulas and agrees that the transforming cities fund is crucial for unlocking potential in Stoke-on-Trent, mentioning its importance for improving traffic flow and public transport.

  • Tom Hunt

    My hon. Friend agreed that potholes and poor road quality are not only safety issues but also reflect an area's pride in itself, highlighting the need for investment in areas like Chancery, Gainsborough, and Rushmere in Ipswich.

  • Tulip Siddiq Lab Hampstead and Highgate

    I raised the issue of poorly maintained pavements and roads that pose dangers to pedestrians. I highlighted an incident involving a constituent who tripped on an uneven pavement, resulting in injuries. The local council fixed the pavement within 24 hours after being contacted. I expressed concern about the impact of budget cuts totalling £16 billion over 10 years on maintenance efforts.

Government Response

Rachel Maclean

She thanked Jonathan Gullis and other members for their contributions on potholes and highway repairs, highlighting the importance of addressing these issues. She explained that over £7.1 billion has been provided between 2015 and 2021 in local highways maintenance funding by the Department. She mentioned the allocation of part of this funding to local authorities based on their progress towards an adequate asset management plan and noted the ongoing review for future allocations. She detailed the current funding formula, which allocates 82.42% to roads in each local highway authority and takes into account road types such as principal roads (A roads) with higher traffic rates being allocated more funding. She addressed concerns about Manchester City Council receiving twice the maintenance funding compared to Stoke-on-Trent, clarifying that this is not the case based on road lengths and network conditions. She stated that the current formula is considered fair and equitable by local authorities but acknowledged potential reassessment following further clarity from the spending review process. She highlighted the Department's guidance in addressing potholes and defects correctly for future road maintenance and mentioned a backlog of repairs due to past underinvestment, noting improvements despite recent winter challenges.

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