Record Funding Will Improve Roads in the Henley Constituency
John Howell MP has welcomed the announcement of £16,695,000 of new funding in Oxfordshire – which will mean more money to tackle potholes and improve roads in the Henley constituency.
This is part of £87,143,000 of funding allocated for roads maintenance in Oxfordshire up to 2020/21 – the first time councils have had certainty over funding for this length of time. This will mean they can plan ahead and spend more efficiently and effectively.
Overall, £976 million a year will be invested in roads maintenance in England – enough to fix around 18 million potholes across the country.
John Howell commented:
“We all know potholes and poorly maintained roads are a menace, particularly around Christmas, so this is great news for everybody who relies on the roads in the constituency.
“Almost £17 million funding – part of an £87 million package for maintenance over the next six years – will go a long way to dealing with the problems we face on our roads, giving us another reason for cheer in this festive period.
“Investing in Britain’s roads and infrastructure is a key part of the Conservatives’ long-term economic plan to secure a better future for Britain – and it’s only possible because we’ve taken the difficult decisions to cut ineffective spending elsewhere. By fixing our roads we are backing local businesses, and making life that bit easier for the hardworking people in this constituency who use them to get around.”
Oxfordshire – not just the Henley constituency – will benefit from the phased £87m funding. We welcome this additional cash injection to our highways maintenance programme, which will help us to deliver the economic growth we are encouraging. This will be in addition to the capital programme of new roads and major works such as the £7.5m reconstruction of the Kennington roundabout on the Oxford Ring Road and the £4.5m repair to the A4130 Bix dual carriageway. However, the County Council needs £165m to bring all the roads up to the motorway standard expected by our residents, and another £20m per year to keep them in that condition. We will not be able to transform all the roads, and priorities will have to be made, meaning that some minor and less trafficked roads will only get pothole repairs, at best.