News that funding to tackle potholes has been welcomed by the leader of Staffordshire County Council.
The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt used his Budget announcement to unveil plans for an additional £200million for highways repairs across the country.
Cllr Alan White, leader of Staffordshire County Council, said road improvements were a key focus for the authority.
“On the day that the council has approved an extra £30million over two years to be spent maintaining and improving our highways – on top of our annual £50million road maintenance budget – I am pleased to hear that the Government is providing more money to tackle potholes.
“Spending on our huge road network as part of good physical and digital infrastructure is an essential requirement to successfully support business growth in Staffordshire, but so too is having a good, educated workforce on hand, which is why I welcome the new support to encourage people back into work.”
Cllr Alan White, Staffordshire County Council
Proposed changes will also see an expansion to free childcare in a bid to allow parents to return to the workplace.
Cllr White said:
“For many years we have put a great deal of effort into encouraging take-up of the free childcare on offer and this additional provision has to be a step in the right direction to help parents financially and to allow them to take advantage of the jobs available in Staffordshire.
“We do work closely with childcare providers, particularly in terms of encouraging extra provision where it is needed to meet demand.
“We will continue to support them and study the detail of the additional funding for ‘free hours’ promised by the Chancellor.
“Similarly, we already have a good out-of-school club network in the county, so look forward to seeing the detail of the Chancellor’s announcement regarding wraparound care for school-age children and working with schools to see how it can be expanded.”
Cllr Alan White, Staffordshire County Council
There are how many higher tier local authorities 150? Not much more than £1.3m per HTLA. 2.6% of the Staffordshire roads budget 1.6% with the additional £30m. Tip if you are going to claim a win don’t highlight what you spend already as a comparator when the additional money is peanuts and less than inflation.
Only 24 County Councils left now. 58 unitary, 36 metropolitan borough and 32 London Borough. Time is running out for the County Council and district model I think.
Potholes are beyond a joke in Lichfield if you try and report them you’re told it’s not bad enough to meet the criteria and it will be added to the list !!! Going back a few years you could actually call them and report a pothole and it would be fixed ? If the money has increased why has the service got worse?
Mr Legs, because the country is less productive – in other words, people want paying more for doing less. I’ve seen tradespeople every day on the new development I’m living on in Lichfield. They sit around half the day in their van and then leave an hour before they’re supposed to. It takes far too long and far too much money to do anything in this country. Some people need a rocket up their backsides.
Longer school days would reduce child care I know of a school that finishes the day at 2-50 and was considering a half day on Friday
Will need most of the budget to repair the potholes on A5127, by the Garden Centre.
I have tried engaging with the county councillor responsible for the roads.
They think they are doing a good job and that their contractor is doing a good job.
It’s not just more money that’s needed, it’s actually doing a proper job of repairs.
It’s getting to the stage where we are driving and cycling on nothing better than cart tracks in some places.
It’s a complete disgrace, and yet the Conservatives claim they are doing a good job – let me tell them – you are doing a terrible job, wasting our money and failing to provide safe roads for walking, cycling and driving.
Could we not get children to repair the roads, while their parents are at work?
They would do a far better job than the current companies, the council employ.