£12.3million boost for flood-hit roads in Somerset

Somerset County Council has welcomed news of a £12.3million boost for the county’s flood-hit roads.

The council made a bid to Government for a share of £183.5million set aside for road repairs, and has been awarded £12,335,841 – the largest share for any council in the South West.

The money will be used for repairing damage caused by the wettest winter on record, including rebuilding roads and filling in potholes. It may also allow Somerset County Council to invest in long-term flood resilience measures as proposed in the Flood Action Plan to help keep key roads open for longer.

Cllr John Osman, leader of Somerset County Council said, “The endless rain and floods of this winter have had a major impact on all our roads. Although most have now reopened, the damage left behind is plain to see.

“In Somerset we’ve suffered as much as anywhere, and this announcement of extra Government support is really welcome news. We’ll now look carefully at exactly what needs to be done to make sure this money goes where it is most needed.”

Last week’s Budget also included a further £168million to tackle potholes on England’s roads and Somerset County Council will also be bidding for a share of this.