31 March 2010
Plugging the potholes -
I know a lot of local residents are concerned about the pothole damage caused by the big freeze that hit Britain this winter. Snow, ice and plummeting temperatures not only made it the severest winter in 30 years, they also left potholed roads to be repaired up and down the country.
That’s why I was pleased that in last week’s Budget, the Labour government announced an extra £100m of funding for local authorities to help put the damage right – including over £9m for the West Midlands. Rapid and decisive action to ensure that our roads are in the best possible condition before next winter.
This funding will be ring-fenced to make sure it goes where it should go – to plug the potholes. And the government will be able to make sure that Birmingham has made the repairs properly and spent the money wisely.
I’m also pleased that Labour has recently announced plans to make sure utility companies repair roads properly after carrying out their work. We are determined to tackle maintenance problems and make our local roads safe and fit for purpose.
We must also look forward to help avoid another sudden deterioration in road conditions in the future. It is important that Birmingham City Council invest properly in repairing our local roads and focus on longer term resurfacing and maintenance work.
When things go wrong – whether potholes or anything else, Labour is on your side. We will take decisions in the interest of the many and not the few and work to make the road ahead as smooth as possible.
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