00:00 Today a report by the Press Association has revealed some startling figures about the rate of road repairs in England with some particularly shocking stats for Sheffield.
00:08 So I'm measuring city centre potholes with this can of dandelion and burdock while talking about road repairs.
00:14 The PA claims there has been a 45% drop off in highways maintenance in England in the year up to March 2023 compared to 5 years beforehand.
00:22 In real terms this was 3,366 fewer miles receiving any kind of improvement work nationwide.
00:29 In Sheffield, Department of Transport figures show 20 miles of roads have been done in the year to March 2023.
00:36 A staggering decline from 165.7 miles 5 years ago or a whole 88% less.
00:43 As well as this, just 2 of those miles were on 'main' or 'A' roads you might call them.
00:49 In October the government announced it would provide £8.3 billion extra funding over 11 years to fix potholes in England using money saved by scrapping the planned extension of HS2 North in Birmingham.
01:00 The DFT says local authorities were receiving the biggest increase in funding for local road improvements as a result of this.
01:08 But RSC Head of Policy Simon Williams warned that this isn't nearly enough for a long term fix.
01:15 If only could have got me and my can onto the M1 near Sheffield last week when a pothole closed three lanes and needed emergency repairs.
01:23 The can probably would have been more shaken up than this one though.
01:28 [Street noise]
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