Jonathan Todd

Jonathan Todd, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Westmorland and Lonsdale, has welcomed news that the Labour government will provide more than £2 million to help repair potholes in Cumbria’s roads.

Chancellor Alistair Darling has said Cumbria will be given £2.3 million from a £100 million fund to repair roads damaged by the snow, ice and plummeting temperatures in recent months.

 Mr Todd said:

“Potholes are an issue which many local people raise with me. This welcome news illustrates the responsiveness of the Labour government to the needs of Cumbria. I hope this money is fairly used throughout the county and that Westmorland and Lonsdale gets the share that we need.”

The funding will allow local authorities to pay for the most urgent immediate repairs.

Local resident Lois Sparling said:

“As someone who frequently cycles and also drives on local roads, I am very much aware of the damage which the past winter has inflicted upon them. This extra help to deal with potholes is very timely.”

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said:

“The Chancellor announced an extra £100 million for local authorities to repair pothole damage as a result of this winter’s severe weather. I intend to allocate this to councils as soon as possible, so that they can immediately get their maintenance staff filling potholes and making our roads as safe as possible for drivers, motorcyclists and cyclists. We have trebled funding to local authorities over the last 10 years for road maintenance. This pothole fund further demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that our roads are in the best possible condition.”