Thousands of miles of local roads could be resurfaced to prevent potholes under a proposal to give councils long-term funding for maintenance.
The Department for Transport is pressing the Treasury to guarantee funding for several years rather than annually, as happens at present. The absence of long-term funding stops local authorities from improving surfaces before potholes develop.
The suggestion comes after a report in July by the Commons Transport Select Committee, on which Robert sits.
Robert said: "This is a really positive step forward. Our Committee produced a report on potholes in July in which we set out the benefits of a longer-term funding settlement for local highways maintenance. This would bring about fundamental change in the way in which central and local government fund and maintain our local roads - moving away from a reactive 'make do and mend' approach towards a pro-active, strategic system of re-surfacing and maintenance."
