The Chancellor has upped pothole funding with an extra £200m for 2023/4 to help tackle “the curse of potholes”.

The extra funding is expected to fix the equivalent of up to four million additional potholes

The extra funding is expected to fix the equivalent of up to four million additional potholes across the country.

Speaking in the Spring Budget, Jeremy Hunt said: “The Spending Review allocated £500m every year to the Potholes Fund but today I have decided to increase that fund by a further £200m next year to help local communities tackle this problem.”

He added that the pledge not only followed a cold and wet winter but also strong representations from MPs and local government on the need for extra funding.

Nexus Vehicle Rental said it was encouraged by the pledge.

Mike Palmer, client development director, stated: “Potholes cause significant damage to vehicles and can greatly impact businesses financially. To see that this problem will be addressed is a positive result for businesses and fleets alike.”

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said the extra £200m was welcome but “unlikely to make a big difference to the overall quality of our dilapidated local roads”.

“We need to significantly increase funding for local road maintenance and improvement so councils can resurface roads properly rather than patching them up and hoping for the best. Last year the Government spent £1.125bn on local roads in England which is in stark contrast to the £7bn that went into major roads from car tax, despite local roads covering so many more miles.”

The AA also expressed concern that the cash won’t become available until next year.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy, outlined: “Years of underinvestment in our road network coupled with a cold and wet winter is already unveiling the craters. More money needs to be spent now, as well as significant long-term investment to improve our local roads.”

The Local Government Association, meanwhile, called for an ongoing and long-term commitment to roads maintenance.

Cllr David Renard, transport spokesperson for the LGA, said: “Despite the best efforts of councils – which repair a pothole every 19 seconds – our local roads repair backlog is rising and would take over £12bn and nine years to clear.

“Only with long-term and consistent investment in local road maintenance can councils embark on the widespread improvement of our roads that is desperately needed.”

And Kevin Pratt of financial advice platform Forbes Advisor’s said that while the funding was “an official acknowledgement of the shocking state of Britain’s roads”, it was nowhere near enough.

“Billions are needed to fix the nation’s potholes sufficiently so they don’t simply reappear in a few weeks – but it is better than nothing. In many areas, driving is the equivalent of slaloming down the road trying to stay out of the worst divots, with expensive repair bills lying in wait for those who fall victim. More needs to be done to help beleaguered drivers.”