Member Article

North Yorkshire to use further government funding of £25 million to boost infrastructure

A major investment in maintenance and improvement work on North Yorkshire’s vast network of rural roads is unveiled today.

North Yorkshire County Council is to use £25 million of Government funding for economic growth to boost its highways maintenance programme.

It comes on top of more than £10 million announced just over two weeks ago, £5.176m from the Department for Transport, matched by a similar amount from the County Council.

Today’s extra funding is part of an award to the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership designed to stimulate growth.

County Councillor John Weighell, the Leader of the Council said: “Good transport links are critical to economic prosperity.

“This was a key point made by the Local Enterprise Partnership in its business case for a share of the Local Growth Fun, and it is extremely gratifying that the need for more investment in North Yorkshire’s highways network has been recognised.”

Earlier this year, Councillor Weighell sent a personal appeal to the Transport Secretary, Patrick McLaughlin, seeking Government aid to maintain and improve the rural highways network.

Last month, the Department for Transport announced a £5.176 million grant for pothole repairs – a sum matched by the county council. This initial £10m will pay for pothole repairs and other vital maintenance work in the current financial year.

The additional funding announced by the Government today will cover work over the following five years. It is part of a huge national funding initiative designed to promote economic growth. In addition to the highways network contribution, money will be channelled through the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership to boost growth across the North Yorkshire economy. The LEP funding will be aimed particularly at businesses and enterprises in rural areas. [NB a separate press release is being distributed today by the LEP].

“This is an extremely significant investment in North Yorkshire, and will allow the County Council to take steps to ensure that the vitally important transport infrastructure of this very large county supports the economic growth and prosperity for which we are all striving,” added Councillor Weighell.

Councillor Weighell met Mr McLoughlin in March, after sending him a personal letter outlining the nature and scale of the financial challenges facing North Yorkshire’s highways maintenance operations.

In his letter, Councillor Weighell revealed that a quarter of the county’s minor roads – which cover a distance of 5,000 kilometres and constitute more than half the network - are in urgent need of repairs. He warned that the issue was “rapidly becoming a crisis.”

North Yorkshire is the biggest local authority in England by area and has the third largest road network. The topography of North Yorkshire means the county’s highways are vulnerable to extreme weather, while its dispersed population and rural economy make the minor roads particularly important. Added to this, the cars, HGVs and agricultural vehicles are getting heavier and larger, which has increased their impact on the condition of the minor roads.

The County Council is now drawing up a detailed programme of works. Many of the potholes in rural North Yorkshire come about as a result of damage to the edge of the road. Rather than just patch these potholes the County Council has decided to undertake much more cost efficient permanent repairs by resurfacing the road. This will fill the existing potholes and help prevent more potholes forming in future.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .