Swindon councillor claims government cash too 'Dickensian'

Swindon Borough Council said it has a backlog of £119m of road repairs

A council has called the government's way of handing out cash for local services "Dickensian".

Swindon Borough Council expects to get £14m for potholes over the next 10 years, boosted by cash saved by cancelling HS2.

The government said it has freed up more money than ever for local roads repairs.

The council said it brings the local pothole budget each year up to £6m, but the backlog on repairs stands at £119m.

Councillor Chris Watts said the bidding process to get money was like asking "please sir, can we have some more?"

Mr Watts, the council's cabinet member for transport, said it seemed like a "Dickensian attitude" and that it "needs to stop".

"Just give us the money, let's get on with the job," he said.

Swindon's cabinet member for transport, Councillor Chris Watts, said the government's bidding process for money was "Dickensian"

Labour has not set out details of its funding plans for local government, but Mr Watts said the current bidding process would be scrapped.

He said: "There does seem to be a detachment from reality between central government and local government about the cost to do this type of maintenance and what's required over the next 10 years.

"There needs to be a major review."

The government has said that changing the HS2 project has freed up £8.3bn for local roads.

The Chancellor will be setting out the Autumn Statement - the government's tax and spending plans - and councils in the West are expected to get tens of millions of pounds to repair potholes.

The government's Transport Secretary, MP Mark Harper, has said: "One of the things we're now able to do is shift money into the quality of local roads rather than that project.

"It means we're able to spend £8.3bn over the next 11 years. That's the largest increase in local road maintenance funding ever."

Wiltshire Council has also got cash for road repairs from the government.

The extra money from scrapping part of HS2 will give Swindon an extra £900,000 for pothole repairs over the next two years, with neighbouring Wiltshire Council getting just over £5m.

Over the coming decade, Swindon's projected share of road repair cash is £14m compared to Wiltshire's £82m.

Wiltshire has a far larger road network, but is still better funded per mile than Swindon.

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