Mersey Reporter - #Merseybites #News

THE UK Government's Department for Transport have launched a new:- Red, Amber, Green Rating that lets you see how effective your local highway authority (LHA) is at fixing your local roads.

This new system is the 1st of its kind, which grades:- 154 local highway authorities across England using the traffic light rating to clearly letting residents see how well their local Council is tackling potholes and resurfacing roads.

The initiative is part of a record:- £7.3 billion invested in road maintenance, that is designed to help local Councils to stop short term patch jobs and focus on prevention measures to maintain their road network in the long term.

The move is designed to save the Tax Payer money and help prevent drivers from losing money on unnecessary repair bills. The fixes will mean more money in drivers' pockets; with the average vehicle repair bill from hitting potholes around:- £320, and some motorists paying over £1,000 last year, according to the RAC.

The new ratings are given for the following:-

Green = best practice, long term preventative plans.
Amber = on the way, but room to improve.
Red = support in place to raise standards.

Those that scored:- 'Green' like:- Leeds, Sandwell and Manchester, were able to demonstrate they are following best practice such as investing in more long term preventative measures rather than just patching up potholes, while also maintaining good road conditions and investing significantly into improving local roads.

‘Amber’ ranked councils showed some of these qualities with room for improvement in individual areas, while those rated:- ‘red’ are not yet meeting the expected standards in one or several areas measured by the ratings, such as:- the current state of the roads, their plans for preventing potholes or investment into maintaining their local roads more widely.

To boost standards, Councils currently rated:- 'red' will receive dedicated support to bring them in line with best practices, backed by:- £300,000 worth of expert planning and capability assistance. The support programme will include:- peer reviews where sector experts will help improve processes and provide practical advice.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:- “For too long, drivers have paid the price because our roads were left to deteriorate. I have heard time and again their frustration with footing the bill because they hit a pothole... Money they should never have to spend in the 1st place. We've put our money where our mouth is, increasing the funding for councils with £7.3 billion to fix roads and given them the long term certainty they have been asking for. Now it's over to them to spend the money wisely, and for the 1st time we are making sure the public can see how well Councils are doing in delivering the improvements they want to see in their local area. This Government's record investment will save drivers money on repairs, make roads safer and help restore pride in our communities."

To further ensure transparency from Councils, 25% of local highway authorities’ annual funding was withheld until they published transparency reports setting out their maintenance plans, allowing residents and taxpayers to see how the money is being used. The withheld £125 million in funding was unlocked at the end of last year, following all Councils successfully submitting reporting.

In further support for local authorities, the Government will extend the Live Labs 2 programme for another year, providing up to:- £300,000 to help Councils access and adopt more innovative approaches to maintenance, including uptake of longer lasting, low carbon materials for repairing roads faster, more efficiently and far less often. These materials can unlock savings for the taxpayer, lower emissions, and reduce disruptive roadworks long term to keep drivers moving.

The announcement comes in the same week the Government unveiled the first Road Safety Strategy in over a decade, to save thousands of lives on the nation's roads by tackling drink driving, improving training for young drivers, and introducing mandatory eye tests for older motorists.

Responding to the Government's launch of a traffic light rating system map for how local highways authorities are spending road funding, Cllr Tom Hunt, Chair of the LGA’s Inclusive Growth Committee, said:- "This boost in funding is a helpful step in the right direction. Councils face a £17 billion backlog of road repairs. Only longer-term funding certainty will help councils more effectively plan for future maintenance schemes, focusing more on preventative measures, which will ultimately save the taxpayer money and reduce the need for repairs, and enable them to invest in innovation. While the LGA strongly believes that it is up to local communities to say how well their Council is running local services through local democracy, the planned support programme offer will help support some authorities to adopt best practice."

Following publication of the ratings system, Edmund King, who is the AA's President and founding member of the Pothole Partnership, said:- “The top transport demand for 96% of AA members is fixing potholes with increased investment in repairing and upgrading roads. We welcome this Government initiative to hold local highways authorities to account, which should help to promote the Pothole Partnership objective of more proactive and permanent repairs."

The RAC's Head of Policy Simon Williams added:- "These new ratings are a positive move that will help drivers understand how councils are performing when it comes to improving the state of local roads. While there are examples of good road maintenance practice taking place, this isn’t consistent across the country and means drivers have for too long been left with substandard roads. We hope this initiative, plus the promise of longer term funding for councils to allow them to plan and carry out much-needed preventative maintenance, means we’re finally on the way to having smoother, better roads."

Caroline Julian, Brand and Engagement Director of British Cycling and founding member of the Pothole Partnership, has also commented saying:- "For cyclists, potholes are far more than an annoyance. One unexpected impact can cause a serious crash, life changing injury or, in the worst cases, a fatality. Safe riding depends on safe roads, and a smooth, well maintained surface isn't a luxury for cyclists; it’s essential for their safety. This new mapping tool is a step forward. It gives riders clear insight into how well their council is maintaining the routes they rely on every day, whilst holding decision makers to account."

Kerry Winstanley, Managing Director of Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) has also gon on record saying:- "The release of the national ratings provides a clear opportunity to target support and strengthen the local road network where it is most needed. For many years, highways authorities have worked hard to maintain roads despite declining budgets and resources, and the ratings, released alongside record multi-year investment, will enable authorities to benefit from additional support and increase investment in preventative maintenance, while continuing collaborative work supported by LCRIG, including sharing best practices, adopting innovative solutions, and working towards a nationally green-rated road network."

To see how the Liverpool City Region is doing, please visit the interactive map online at:- DFT.Gov.UK.