Councillor Peter Jackson, the Conservative group leader on Northumberland Council, has welcomed news local road-users will benefit from a dedicated £3.255m pothole fund, which will keep the region moving.

This cash is part of a £1.2 billion fund for local road that the Conservative Government is allocating to councils to repair and rebuild our transport links.  

This funding will improve roads, cut congestion and improve journey times includes money from the new National Productivity Investment Fund, announced in the 2016 Autumn Statement and the Pothole Action Fund. It also includes £75 million which councils can bid for to repair and maintain local infrastructure such as bridges, street lighting and rural roads.   

Motorists across Northumberland will benefit from the dedicated funding for the North East Combined Authority after the Government announced nearly £50 million of funding will be made available to local councils over the next 12 months.  This is part of a wider package totalling £3.962m across the North East.  

The government has also published further information about what the funding will be spent on - the latest step in our economic plan to stimulate the economy and build a country that works for everyone. 

Cllr Jackson said: "The state of our roads is consistently raised with me by local residents and remains a great source of frustration for drivers.  

"This funding is welcome news for families and businesses in Northumberland who rely on our roads to get around.  It builds on the £1,111m Northumberland County Council got last year and is the latest step in our plan to build a country that works for everyone.  

"This announcement shows the Government is delivering on the commitment to invest in infrastructure to attract businesses and secure a better future for local businesses."