Wakefield Council roads cash 'nowhere near enough' to fund improvements

Wakefield Council needs more than £70m for a total road upgrade, it said

More than £12m is to be spent on maintaining roads across Wakefield, though councillors say £70m is needed to fund any real improvements.

The money will be used to target areas most in need of work across the district's 1,242 miles (2,000km) of roads, footpaths and cycle lanes.

However, Matthew Morle,y cabinet member for planning and highway, said the cash available was "nowhere near enough".

The council is facing a £35m funding gap over the financial year 2023/4.

Mr Morley said: "Right now our main priority is to protect our road investment. Good financial management means we've been able to do this.

"But the harsh reality is that this funding will only enable us to maintain not improve our roads.

"To give some idea of the scale of the challenge, we'd be looking at over £70m to properly deal with this."

Wakefield Council said the funding will go towards promoting safer walking, cycling and links to public transport

A council report has set out a programme of works for 83 maintenance projects across the district, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The money will also pay for infrastructure work including improving drainage, maintaining traffic signals, road markings and signs plus introducing road safety improvements.

Part of the funding will be used to promote safer walking, cycling and links to public transport.

Previously, Wakefield Council leader Denise Jeffery said central government and the public needed to know the "difficulties" faced by authorities.

She said Wakefield could face financial hardship by 2027 without better investment and blamed the current economic climate for the local government funding crisis.

Ms Jeffrey added: "Rather than just expecting us to raise council tax so local residents pay for all the savings, we need to get that funding and get that message across to whoever is in government."

In January, Communities Secretary Michael Gove announced local authorities would receive a £600m funding boost from the government following recent warnings of further bankruptcies.