Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has released a further £100 million to help councils repair potholes and protect local roads after severe winter weather.

The funding boost will help local authorities repair almost two million potholes, along with roads and other storm damage.

The investment is being made on top of £75m in government funding already allocated to councils from the Pothole Action Fund this year, as well as the additional £46m boost for highways authorities announced just before Christmas, helping to repair almost seven million potholes.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: "People rely on good roads to get to work and to see friends or family.

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"We have seen an unusually prolonged spell of freezing weather which has caused damage to our local roads.

"We are giving councils even more funding to help repair their roads so all road users can enjoy their journeys without having to dodge potholes."

In addition, the Government is investing more than £900,000 in innovations using connected vehicles to help local authorities more efficiently manage and plan maintenance works. Overall, these trials will help provide councils with data to enable them to repair potholes before they occur as well as maintain their other assets more effectively as part of their asset management plans.

In one trial, Blackpool Council has been given £100,000 to lead on a digital inspector scheme with eight other councils. The initiative will see high definition cameras mounted on vehicles to collect data on road and path conditions, which is then analysed by computers to highlight where roads are deteriorating. The City of York is also receiving £72,000 to use a similar system to build on its pothole spotter trial.

Elsewhere, £30,000 is being provided to the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT) to work on technological and innovative improvements to future-proof the local road network.

(LM/MH)