Tackling potholes in Reading West

The issue:

Extreme winter weather and flooding in early 2014 accelerated the need to repair local roads as potholes blighted drivers journeys and became a danger for cyclists.

Achievements to date:

  • Alok welcomed the news in March 2014 that the Department for Transport would be providing an additional £151,947 to Reading Borough Council and an extra £1,489,480 to West Berkshire Council as part of a £183.5 million emergency fund made available to help repair local roads damaged by severe weather. This funding was allocated using a formula based on road length, with extra money made available specifically for roads in flood-affected local authorities.
  • In June 2014, the Government allocated an additional £163,833 in Reading Borough and £798,707 in West Berkshire on top of the annual roads budget to tackle thousands of potholes across Reading West.
  • Alok carried out a survey in 2014 across all homes in Reading West and raised any concerns residents had about potholes with the relevant council.
  • In December 2014 the Government announced that a record £6 billion will be spent on tackling potholes and improving local roads between 2015 and 2021. Reading Borough Council will receive £7,685,000 over this period while West Berkshire Council will receive £22,520,000.
  • April 2016 - West Berkshire Council has been awarded £217,000 from the Pothole Action Fund, to fix an estimated 4,094 potholes, while Reading Borough Council will receive an additional £60,000, to fix an estimated 1,132 potholes over the next 12 months.

Next steps:

Alok will continue to assist constituents who raise concerns about potholes and press the relevant council when work needs to be carried out.

Alok says:

“Poorly maintained local roads, blighted by potholes, are a menace to all road users so it is vital we have good quality roads. The Government has already taken strong action by spending £1 billion more on local roads maintenance than was spent in the previous parliament. This huge investment is part of the Government’s long term economic plan to ensure we have a transport network fit for the 21st century. If any of my constituents have concerns about any specific roads which are still in need of repair I will be happy to raise this with the council on their behalf.”