£2.7m worth of roadworks and repairs in West Northants to be funded by reallocated HS2 money

Northamptonshire authorities have published their plans to improve local roads over the next few years as the first tranche of funding from the scrapped HS2 project has been revealed.

A programme of pothole repairs and road resurfacing projects has been announced by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC). Some roads have already been resurfaced as part of the HS2-funded Network North project to make journeys safer, faster and smoother.

The council has already been paid £1.357m by the Department for Transport (DfT) and is set to receive another £1.357m instalment in this financial year to get on with the work and deliver improvements.

As part of a government initiative to bring increased transparency to how local councils deliver taxpayer-funded improvements, councils must publish their plans on how to spend the redirected money on the local road network.

The total amount of money spent on highways in the county since WNC’s creation is in excess of £60m, however the backlog of repairs continues to rise and sits at over £200m.

The council wrote on their website about the scheme: “Our plan encompasses additional work completed and planned for completion by March 2025. The allocation of additional funding has accelerated improvement projects across WNC.

“By March 2024, we will have committed to close to £2.2million worth of maintenance that would have not been possible with our original budget.”

Roads that have already undergone or are set to benefit from carriageway resurfacing in the first two years include:

• Blisworth Road, Roade
• Knock Lane, Blisworth
• A43 Silverstone
• Radstone Road, Brackley
• Old Towcester Road, Northampton

Preventative maintenance across 46,000sqm of road has also been highlighted. The council states wards that have already benefitted from this include Sixfields, Duston East, Woodford & Weedon, Hackleton & Grange Park and Nene Valley, Middleton Cheney, Brixworth, Boothville & Parklands, Castle, Braunston & Crick, Bugbrooke and Moulton.

The money will also be used on new technology and innovations such as a Mini Paver, Roadmender and a contract management system.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “We’re on the side of drivers, which is why this Government is getting on with delivering our plan to invest £959 million in the East Midlands as part of the biggest ever funding increase for local road improvements, made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.

“Alongside this unprecedented funding, which is already being used to improve local roads, we’re making sure residents can hold their local authority to account and see for themselves how the investment will be spent to improve local roads for years to come.”

Councils will be required to submit quarterly reports from June, announcing work which has taken place over the previous three months. The DfT has said it will keep the quality of authorities’ reporting under review in the interests of taxpayers.

A full breakdown of WNC’s spending plans and further details can be accessed here.