Boost for vital highways maintenance

The wheels of progress are set to roll smoother in West Berkshire as national Government allocates a total of £1.3million in highways maintenance funding to West Berkshire Council.

Split over two financial years, the funding is courtesy of the Department for Transport (DfT) and is part of the Government's grand £8.3 billion plan for nationwide highways improvement from 2023 to 2024.

An initial timely injection of £679,000 has been dedicated to various highways maintenance and improvement initiatives such as filling potholes, resurfacing, the installation of new road markings, and the replacement of traffic signs and signals.

The commitment doesn't stop there; we can expect a repeat of this financial boost, with another £679,000 earmarked for the 2024/25 financial year.

Councillor Denise Gaines, Executive Member for Highways, Housing and Sustainable Travel at West Berkshire Council, expressed enthusiasm, saying:

"The announcement of this additional funding is hugely positive and whilst we welcome these grants, a fully funded local government settlement offer would allow us to better plan for our needs across our district.

"We are ready to accelerate our planned maintenance works across the district and start on impactful highways projects paving the way for smoother, safer roads, ensuring our residents benefit from well-maintained highways and save road users the inconvenience and financial burden of costly repairs."

The funding will be used to prioritise the following list of roads for maintenance over 2024/25: