CENTRAL Devon MP Mel Stride has welcomed new dedicated funding from the Government to fill nearly one million potholes across the UK, including more than 35,000 in Devon and 150,000 across the South West.

Local motorists will benefit from the dedicated funding after the Government announced that nearly £50-million of funding will be made available to local councils over the next 12 months. Devon is set to receive nearly £2-million – the highest amount awarded to any of the 118 authorities in the UK benefiting from the scheme.

Mr Stride said: ‘Potholes are a huge problem in towns and villages across my constituency and I have pressed hard on this issue in Westminster. They are a real safety hazard, responsible for an estimated 10 percent of mechanical failures on UK roads and cost motorists £730-million every year. With the largest road network of any authority in the UK it is only fair that Devon receives the most funding and the Government is right to invest in improving roads to prevent more accidents and damage from happening in the first place.’

Devon will receive £1,952,000 in the 2016/17 financial year to fill 36,830 potholes at a predicted cost of £53 per pothole.

In total, Devon will receive £38,785,000 in 2016/17 as part of the Government’s £6.1-billion investment for local road maintenance by 2020/21. Local highway authorities decide how this money is spent.