Bradford will get over £23 million in funding over the next two years to improve local roads and tackle the “blight of potholes.”
West Yorkshire Combined Authority allocated the cash at a meeting on Thursday, when Mayor Tracy Brabin described potholes as “every driver’s nightmare.”
The Authority, made up of Councillors from across West Yorkshire, approved £125m over two years to repair and improve 450 miles of roads in the region.
Money was allocated to each District based on the size of its road network.
The biggest chunk of the money, £106m, will be set aside to make improvements to roads, paths and cycle lanes, as well as “the maintenance of bridges, improvements to surface water drainage systems, repairs to streetlights and signage, vegetation clearance, signage and cycle parking facilities.”
Bradford’s share of that £106m will see the District awarded £13.3m for repair works this year and £10.3 the following year.
A further £10m will go towards network management in West Yorkshire, such as enhancing traffic lights and new pedestrian crossings.
Bradford’s share of this funding will be £1.275m this year and £875,000 next year.
WYCA also agreed to an extra £8.3m funding for its safer roads programme, which includes new traffic calming measures and junction improvements.
The huge pot of money is made up of the final two years of the City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) scheme, an £830 million fund from the Department for Transport, aimed at boosting public transport and active travel across West Yorkshire.
At the meeting West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin referred to the cash allocated to repair roads saying: “This will help tackle the blight of potholes.
“It is a good day when we can allocate such a big chunk of money on our roads. Potholes are every driver’s nightmare.”
Bradford Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said: “Safer, better maintained roads will enable improved connectivity and support more sustainable journeys by bus, cycle and walking as well as improving journey times for all road users.”
Earlier this year West Yorkshire was awarded £17m by Active Travel England to develop a series of schemes to get more people walking, cycling and using public transport.
£12.86 million of this is for 2025-26, with £4.21 million allocated for the 2024-25 year that has just ended.
At yesterday’s meeting members voted to approve £600,000 to help develop a series of active travel schemes that this money will be spent on. A report to the meeting said: “The Combined Authority will work with the West Yorkshire councils to develop a list of schemes to deliver under the programme.
“Schemes with high levels of deliverability and development to date will be prioritised.”
By: Chris Young, LDRS
