John Healey MP has today welcomed news that, in the first ever release of such data, Rotherham has been given a ‘green’ rating, the highest possible, for its pothole performance. The announcement comes ahead of National Pothole Day on the 15th January, and demonstrates that Rotherham is delivering significant road improvements for residents.

The Government has doubled the annual roads budget and is backing local authorities with a record £7.3 billion multi-year funding settlement. The new ratings system and record multi-year funding settlement represent a major shift in how the Government supports councils to maintain their roads – moving away from short-term fixes towards sustainable, preventative maintenance that delivers better value for money and improved road conditions for years to come.

By ending the sticking-plaster approach and moving towards long-term, integrated settlements, the Government is empowering high-performing authorities like Rotherham to deliver better roads for local people.

Commenting on the announcement, John Healey said:
“I welcome the news that Rotherham’s hard work has been recognised with this ‘green’ rating.
“The news of this rating coincides with the work Rotherham Council have done to more than halve the number of potholes since 2014/15.
“Whilst more still needs to be done to continue fixing our roads, I am pleased this Labour Government is backing councils likes ours to get on and deliver results for Rotherham’s motorists.

The Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, added:

“For too long drivers have paid the price because our roads were left to deteriorate. I have heard time and again their frustration on footing the bill because they hit a pothole – money they should never have to spend in the first place.

“We’ve put our money where our mouth is, increasing the funding for local highway authorities with £7.3 billion to fix roads and given them the long-term certainty they have been asking for.

“This Government’s record investment will save drivers money on repairs, make roads safer and help restore pride in our communities.”