SOMERSET Council has been told by the Government to come clean with the public on how many potholes it is filling each year, or miss out on extra funding.
The Government wants to see proof of action on how the council is tackling the ‘scourge of potholes’ before it allocates Somerset a share of a £1.6 billion highways maintenance fund.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has offered £85 million of the funding pot to local authorities across the Westcountry.
But it wants councils to ‘prove progress or face losing cash’.
Somerset and other councils must now publish reports on their websites by June 30 detailing how much they are spending, how many potholes they have filled, what percentage of their roads are in what condition, and how they are minimising street works disruption.
They will also be required to show how they are spending more on long-term preventative maintenance programmes, and that they have robust plans for the wetter winters the country is experiencing, weather which makes potholes worse.
By the end of October, councils must also show they are ensuring communities have their say on what work they should be doing, and where.
Councils will also need to publish annual progress reports and prove public confidence in their work.
Local authorities which comply with the requirements will receive their full share of the roads funding pot.
Those which fail to meet the conditions will see 25 per cent of their pothole funding withheld, which could equate to £21 million across the Westcountry.
A DfT spokesperson said: “The public will now see exactly what is being done to tackle potholes, as the Government will now require councils in the South West to prove progress or face losing cash.
“The public can also help battle back against pothole-ridden roads by reporting them to their local council, via a dedicated online portal.”
The news comes as figures from the RAC show drivers encounter an average of six potholes per mile in England and Wales, and pothole damage to cars costs an average £600 to fix.
According to the AA, fixing potholes is a priority for 96 per cent of drivers.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “The broken roads we inherited are not only risking lives but also cost working families, drivers and businesses hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds in avoidable vehicle repairs.
“Fixing the basic infrastructure this country relies on is central to delivering national renewal, improving living standards and securing Britain’s future through our ‘Plan for Change’.
“Not only are we investing an additional £4.8 billion to deliver vital road schemes across the country to get Britain moving, next month we start handing councils a record £1.6 billion to repair roads and fill millions of potholes across the country.
“British people are bored of seeing their politicians aimlessly pointing at potholes with no real plan to fix them.
“That ends with us.
“We have done our part and handed councils the cash and certainty they need, now it is up to them to get on with the job, put that money to use, and prove they are delivering for their communities.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, said: “After years of neglect, we are unblocking the South West’s roads, fixing the plague of potholes, building vital roads, and ensuring every penny is delivering results for the taxpayer.
“The public deserves to know how their councils are improving their local roads, which is why they will have to show progress or risk losing 25 per cent of their funding boost.
“Our ‘Plan for Change’ is reversing a decade of decline and mending our pothole-ridden roads which damage cars and make pedestrians and cyclists less safe.”