Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) roads are adequately maintained and (b) potholes are fixed promptly in Weaver Vale constituency.

The Weaver Vale constituency straddles two local authority areas, namely Cheshire West and Chester and Halton Borough Council.

Over the three-year period between 2022/23 - 2024/25, the Government is providing over £31.5 million to Cheshire West and Chester Council towards the maintenance of the local highway network in their area through the highways maintenance block (HMB) and the Potholes Fund.

It is up to Cheshire West and Chester how best to spend this funding to fulfil their statutory duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980. The Department encourages good practice in highway maintenance through channels such as the Well Managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice produced by the UK Roads Leadership Group (UKRLG).

Halton Borough Council are a constituent member of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA). During the five-year period between 2022/23 - 2026/27, the Government is providing LCRCA with £710 million through their City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS). The funding settlement is for investment in the local transport networks in the Liverpool City Region, as outlined in LCRCA’s business case and delivery plan.

LCRCA received an additional £3.75 million as part of the share of the £200 million announced at Budget 2023.