IMPROVEMENTS are set to be made to roads in St Helens with a funding boost topping £500,000 for highways maintenance and pothole repairs.

At its meeting on Wednesday, the council’s cabinet is recommended to accept funding of £524,114 from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) for highways maintenance and pothole repairs for the financial year 2023-24.

It is to be spent in accordance with the highways infrastructure asset management strategy.

Additional funding

The report to cabinet seeks approval to accept additional Department for Transport Local Transport Capital Block Funding (Pothole Fund) that will be distributed by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA).

It says: “This additional funding will be used to advance the established highways maintenance delivery programme.

“The funding will be allocated to conduct works to prevent and fix potholes and surfacing treatments on the highway network.

“The funding is allocated to local highways authorities so they can most effectively spend this on maintaining and improving their respective network, based upon their local knowledge, circumstances and priorities.

“This considers all parts of the highway network, such as bridges, cycleways, and lighting columns – and not just the fixing of potholes.

“As previous pothole funding settlements for the Liverpool City Region, the funding has been allocated on a formulaic basis with the share for St Helens Borough Council being £524,114.24.

“This allocation has been calculated based on the length of St Helens roads in kilometres as a percentage of Liverpool City Region roads.

“Cabinet is recommended to accept this funding allocation from the LCRCA as it will assist the council to maintain and improve local roads and the council as highway authority to perform its statutory duty to maintain the adopted highway.

“The effective maintenance and improvement of the local highway network will support and strengthen the opportunities for growth within the borough and the City Region.”