Oxfordshire Council told to 'up their game' to get vital pothole money
Every council in England must now publish annual progress reports and prove public confidence in their work
Last updated 31st Mar 2025
Oxfordshire County Council have been told to “up their game” to make sure they do not miss out on extra funding from the government for fixing the potholes that “drive motorists mad”.
The government will start give each local council in England a share of their £1.6 billion investment towards highways maintenance funding in April.
Oxfordshire is due to receive £8.9 million to tackle its 124,204 potholes, while the South East as a whole was given £19.9 million.
However, if councils cannot prove that they have already made significant progress towards dealing with the issue, the government will withhold 25 per cent of the funding and reallocate it to other councils.
Every council in England must now publish annual progress reports and prove public confidence in their work.
Sean Woodcock, Labour MP for Banbury, wrote a letter to county council leader Liz Leffman, demanding that they sort out the potholes, so they do not lose out.
In the letter, he said: “It is critical that you ensure you take advantage of the support from the Labour Government and finally get on top of the potholes that drive motorists mad.
“The public deserves to know how you are getting on, so it is right that you will have to show progress. I am sure you will agree.
“But you will have to up your game – we need to see many more potholes fixed this year than the one before.
“We need to see the potholes crisis ended.
“Don’t fail us and throw away our share of the additional £500m available to councils like Oxfordshire.”
An Oxfordshire County Council spokesperson said: “We welcome extra money for highway repairs and will be analysing the details and requirements in the government’s announcement.”
The council previously said it repaired 41,000 potholes in 2024 and has put £38.6 million towards a two-year highways maintenance programme in its 2025/26 budget.