Councils must prove they are taking action on potholes before receiving extra Government funding worth millions of pounds in a victory for the Daily Mail.
From mid-April, £1.6billion of funding will be shared between councils across England – which ministers say will be enough to fill seven million potholes a year.
But to get the full amount all councils must publish annual progress reports and prove public confidence in their work.
Local authorities which fail to meet these conditions will see a portion of the additional funding – up to £125million – withheld.
The Mail has been campaigning for an end to the pothole plague which is costing drivers millions in repairs.
Last week we revealed how repairing Britain's roads would cost £17billion.
A survey by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) found that one in every six miles of the local road network in England and Wales – 34,600 miles in all – will lack 'structural integrity' within five years despite the £20billion spent on road repairs in the past decade.
And in January, analysis found nearly one in eight highway authorities would not fill a pothole unless it is at least 12 inches wide.
From mid-April, £1.6billion of funding will be shared between councils` across England – which ministers say will be enough to fill 7million potholes a year (stock)
But to get the full amount all councils must publish annual progress reports and prove public confidence in their work. Local authorities which fail to meet these conditions will see a portion of the additional funding – up to £125million – withheld (stock)
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) said: 'British people are bored of seeing their politicians aimlessly pointing at potholes with no real plan to fix them. That ends with us'
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: 'British people are bored of seeing their politicians aimlessly pointing at potholes with no real plan to fix them. That ends with us.
'We've done our part by handing councils the cash and certainty they need – now it's up to them to get on with the job, put that money to use and prove they're delivering for their communities.'
Councils have been told to publish the reports online by June 30 and by October must show their communities are being consulted.
The Government also confirmed £4.8billion would be allocated to National Highways for improvements to the A47 around Norwich, the A428 Black Cat junction redevelopment in Cambridgeshire and an upgrade to junction 9 of the M3 in Hampshire.
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