DORSET, Bournemouth and Poole councils have been allocated funds from the government to patch up the road network, with Dorset receiving the lion’s share of £6 million.

The investment from the Department of Transport follows an announcement in the Budget by Chancellor Philip Hammond, who promised an additional £420m to be shared out among local highway authorities to tackle potholes, bridge repairs and other minor routine maintenance.

Out of the £71 million being sent to the South West, Dorset is to receive £6,165,000, while Poole council will get just over £700,000 and Bournemouth council just under £650,000.

Councillor Daryl Turner, cabinet member for the natural and built environment at Dorset County Council, said: “This investment by central Government for Dorset will benefit nearly every resident by investing in road repairs, safety, bus priority or walking and cycling schemes.

“Our road network is also the lifeline for Dorset’s businesses which rely on good quality transport links, so this money is very much welcome.”

The government funding is in addition to money already spent by the county council to repair roads following winter storms.

Damage was caused after the county was battered by Storm Emma and ‘The Beast from the East’ earlier this year.

Between January and June this year, 16,052 road defects were reported and 14,538 were repaired. This is compared to 12,240 reported in the same period in 2017, with 11,540 repaired.

The Echo reported in September how council chiefs were spending an extra £1.4m fixing roads damaged by storms on top of the £10m already approved for highway maintenance.

Gary Powell, head of highways and transportation at Bournemouth council, said: “Additional funding is always welcome and the extra £644,000 received this year will be used to target and accelerate priority areas within our maintenance programme, for the benefit of the town and road users.’’

And Julian McLaughlin, service unit head of growth and infrastructure at Borough of Poole, said: “The allocated funding is welcomed by the council. This will support our programme of highway maintenance in the year ahead.

“We already have a prioritised programme and this added funding shall help accelerate our progress further, enhancing the quality of our road network.’’

Roads minister Jesse Noman said potholes were a “huge problem for all road users”.

“That is why the Government is investing more in improving our roads than at any time before - £15 billion between 2015 and 2020 and a further £28.8 billion to 2025. Plus an immediate extra £420 million for potholes and local road maintenance just this year,” she said.

“The South West will be getting an extra £71 million this winter to keep its roads in good condition to keep drivers and cyclists safe.”