Billion-pound funding previously earmarked for HS2 is to be spent on the biggest-ever uplift in funding for local road improvements, tackling the “scourge of potholes”.

The £8.3bn funding will be allocated to local authorities across England over the next 11 years

Following last month’s announcement that the rest of the HS2 project would be axed and funds redirected, Transport Secretary Mark Harper has set out the allocations of an £8.3bn long-term plan to mend roads across England.

The roads funding boost – part of the £36bn Network North transport plan funded by scrapping the second phase of HS2 – will allocate £150m to local highway authorities across England this financial year, followed by a further £150m for 2024/2025, with the rest of the funding allocated through to 2034.

The funding has been allocated to give £3.3bn for local authorities in the North West, North East and Yorkshire & Humber, along with £2.2bn for local authorities in the West Midlands and East Midlands. It also includes £2.8bn for local authorities in the East of England, South East, South West and, for the first time in eight years, London.

Each local authority can use their share of the £8.3bn to identify what local roads are in most need of repair and deliver immediate improvements for communities and residents. They will be required to publish information on their websites on a regular basis explaining how they are spending the funding in their area.

The funding is on top of the £5.5bn already confirmed up until 2024/25, which includes the £200m announced by the Chancellor at the Budget in March.

The Government said the funding would be enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of road, providing long-term certainty to local authorities while saving motorists up to £440 each on vehicle repairs, under RAC estimates.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Most people travel by road and potholes can cause misery for motorists, from expensive vehicle repairs to bumpy, slow, and dangerous journeys. Our £8.3bn boost to repair roads across the country shows that we’re on the side of drivers.

“Today’s biggest ever funding uplift for local road improvements is a victory for all road users, who will enjoy smoother, faster and safer trips – as we use redirected HS2 funding to make the right long-term decisions for a brighter future.”

Motoring and safety groups have universally welcomed the move.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “This should in time go a considerable way to bringing our roads back to a fit-for-purpose state and saving drivers hundreds of pounds in the process from not having to fork out for frustrating repairs to their vehicles.”

The AA, which warned last month that pothole-related breakdowns had hit a five-year high, had said the promised funding is “desperately needed to address the pothole plague”.

Edmund King, AA president, added: “The damage caused can be a huge financial burden for drivers but is also a major safety risk for those on two wheels. The £8.3bn plan can make a considerable difference in bringing our roads back to the standards which road users expect, especially if councils use the cash efficiently to resurface our streets. As well as safer roads, eliminating potholes gives confidence to people wanting to cycle and instils pride of place within local communities.”

The Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) also greeted the news. Its latest Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) report, published in March 2023, warned that over £14bn was needed to fix the backlog of local road repairs in England and Wales – and the work would take an average of 11 years to complete.

Rick Green, chair of the AIA, said: “We have long been calling for surety of funding over the long-term and the fact that the DfT has committed to this money being available over the next 11 years should allow highways teams to implement more efficient works to improve local road conditions and enhance the resilience of the network once they have details of their allocation.

“This long-term investment will also help give the asphalt supply chain confidence to further invest in plant upgrades, materials innovation and technical advancements to support the development and delivery of lower carbon roads, in line with the Government’s net zero ambitions.”

And the Local Government Association said the announcement would provide some much-needed clarity for councils so they could plan ahead and reinstate repairs impacted by inflation.

Cllr Darren Rodwell, transport spokesperson, added: “It is vital that this plan, together with existing funding, is now ‘locked-in’ by the Chancellor at the Autumn Statement. Longer-term, the Government should award council Highways Departments with five yearly funding allocations to give more certainty, bringing councils on a par with National Highways so they can develop resurfacing programmes and other highways improvements, tackling the scourge of potholes.”