BOURNEMOUTH, Christchurch and Poole’s roads have been given a multi-million-pound investment by the government. 

BCP Council will be drip fed £18.9million from the Department of Transport until 2033/34 using money from the scrapped HS2 project. 

The money is part of an £8.3billion sum redirected from the railway network and onto 5,000 miles of road across the country. 

As reported last year, the authority has filled in nearly 10,000 potholes since 2019, resulting in some motorists having to pay for replacement tyres or repairs to vehicle damage.

Bournemouth Echo:

Cllr Andy Hadley, BCP Counci's portfolio holder for climate response, environment and energy said: “We welcome the announcement from the Department of Transport of an additional funding allocation for local road resurfacing and other maintenance activity across the conurbation over coming years, this is especially welcome given the escalating costs of materials and works.

“We’ve already implemented several significant improvements to key routes in the area over the past year, and this will enable us to further enhance our road network and our ongoing commitment to ensuring it’s safe and efficient.

“We await further details from the department on next steps including how this funding will be distributed, and restrictions on how it can be applied.”

Sir Conor Burns, MP for Bournemouth West, has been lobbying for more money to patch up the roads and has said potholes are some of the most complaints he hears. 

Read more: Potholes in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are 'getting worse'

He said: “The issue of potholes is one of the single biggest issues local people raise with me.  

“They cause damage to cars and can be a real inconvenience for cyclists and mobility vehicles. 

“I’m delighted that this new money is being given to target this problem. Having reported many potholes on behalf of constituents recently I look forward to this making a noticeable difference for our community.” 

Bournemouth Echo: One in every 33 miles of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's roads in poor condition

Cllr Phil Broadhead, Conservative leader, welcomed the cash injection from government. He said: “This £18.9m for the BCP region is on top of the pothole fund boost we received last year. 

“And because it comes with greater flexibility, it will enable comprehensive solutions such as road resurfacing, which is very much needed on many of our roads.

Read more: Thousands of potholes have been reported in BCP

“It’s also great to see us additionally awarded £482,000 to fund CSAS officers on our bus networks; one of only four Councils to win this grant which will help tackle anti-social behaviour on our transport routes.” 

RAC’s head of policy, Simon Williams, said potholes are drivers’ “biggest bugbear” and hopes the money will give council’s funding to plan a “proper long-term road maintenance”. 

Edmund King OBE, AA president, added the AA has attended more than 450,000 pothole-related breakdowns this year and that it is a “huge financial burden” for drivers.