I have written to the Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, over the funding formula used by the Department for Transport when giving out funding for highway maintenance.
Urban areas like Stoke-on-Trent is missing out on funding due to the formula used focusing on mileage of road and we have less minor (C and U) roads.
Despite ‘A’ roads only making up 10% of the UK road length, it is staggeringly carrying 31% of the nations traffic.
‘A’ roads require much more maintenance than minor roads and it’s time we got the funding we deserve.
For example, Manchester gets two times the highway maintenance funding we do in Stoke-on-Trent City Council because they have 299 extra miles of minor roads.
Thankfully, under the leadership of Cllr Abi Brown, Stoke-on-Trent City Council is investing over £20 million into local road repairs over the next 3 years.
If we get our fair share of funding from government we will have some of the best maintained roads in the country.
I am therefore calling on the Secretary of State for Transport to ensure the formula takes into account road type, with principle ‘A’ roads taking priority. I will work alongside Jack Brereton MP, Jo Gideon MP and Cllr Daniel Jellyman
to press for this to happen.