Successful local authorities will sign a pothole pledge as a condition of the funding, setting out the number of potholes they will have repaired by March 2015. In total the funds are enough to fix more than three million potholes according to the Government.

Patrick McLoughlin said: ‘Part of this government’s long-term plan is investing in our roads. Potholes are a menace for all road users which is why this extra funding is provided in addition to the £10bn already committed for councils for road maintenance. I want councils to rise to the challenge and to reward councils who come up with new and better ways of making repairs quickly and effectively.

‘With this new pothole fund councils will need to clearly set out the scale of the work they are doing, and local communities can have certainty that the money is being spent fixing potholes on their local roads.’

The guidance for the application process for local authorities is now available on the GOV.UK website. Councils have until 4pm on Thursday 22nd May 2014 to submit a bid to the Department for Transport.

The DfT added that a track record of best practice or proposals for innovative solutions will be recognised as part of the bidding process, potentially resulting in increased funding for those councils.

Guidance will also be provided to councils on making the most of the available funds and using the money efficiently through the DfT’s Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme.