Northamptonshire could be set for further money for road improvement
Councillors will meet next week
Roads in West Northamptonshire could benefit from an extra £10m of funding if plans are endorsed by the cabinet next week on Tuesday, June 11. The proposals must then go to full council to get final approval for the capital budget and subsequent works.
According to West Northants Council (WNC), an estimated additional £8m a year is needed to halt the decline in the condition of local roads and get them to a satisfactory condition. It said that any funding above this level would contribute to an improvement in overall condition and reduce backlogs.
The report noted that the county is experiencing a decline in the condition of its highways down to several factors including the size and weight of modern cars, harsher weather conditions becoming more common and the cost of fixing failing roads increasing.
It continued: “Funding reduces or fails to keep up as the demand on spare budgets becomes ever more stretched. Overall, highway condition has been identified as one of the most significant issues for the Council to address.
“Historically the Council has received central Government support for pothole maintenance over and above the final settlement as part of the budget. Unfortunately, this was not the case this year and following a second very wet/cold winter, the road network has further deteriorated.
“The additional funding will allow repair of the worst affected areas as well as prevent the further decline of our most vulnerable areas prior to the next winter season.”
The authority has said that the money will be used to fund an extended surface dressing programme, a micro asphalt programme and increased road and footway resurfacing. It will also contribute to a small number of bridge maintenance schemes as well as resolving drainage issues across West Northants.
Some of the budget will also go towards a pilot trial of a new surfacing technique that recycles the existing material to reduce both cost and overall carbon emissions for road repairs.
The funding will be split between two phases of equal cost. The first will start in the summer and focus on preventative maintenance and the second phase will focus on traditional resurfacing between December and March 2025.
The delivery of the project will be monitored throughout the financial year. WNC and Kier will continue to work together closely to inform the public on the works which will be carried out if the additional funding is approved.