Councils across England are being notified whether they have been allocated a share of  £1.2 billion local roads funding to improve roads, cut congestion and improve journey times.

Government has made £1.2 billion local roads funding available.

The funding for 2017/18 includes money from the new National Productivity Investment Fund, announced in the Autumn Statement  as well as the Pothole Action Fund  – in total £70m will be shared across local highway authorities in England, outside London, from the fund to help repair over 1.3 million potholes.

The Department for Transport will also begin a new ‘pothole-spotter’ trial in partnership with Thurrock and York Councils. This will use high-definition cameras mounted to refuse collection vehicles combined with integrated navigation system and intelligent software to identify road surface problems before they become potholes.

The local roads funding also includes £75m which councils can bid for to repair and maintain local infrastructure such as bridges, street lighting and rural roads.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “Roads play a significant part in everyday life linking people with jobs and businesses with customers, which is why this government is investing record amounts improving and maintaining highways across the country to help motorists.

“The funding we have allocated today is focused on relieving congestion and providing important upgrades to ensure our roads are fit for the future – helping to build an economy that works for everyone.”