Council chief blasts speedy potholes funding
DERBYSHIRE County Council’s Conservative leadership has criticised a decision from central government to give it millions of pounds of extra funding which must be spent in three months.
And it says that the added workforce the authority would need, the size of the project and the speed at which it must all be carried out, may mean giving half the money over to a private firm.
In the autumn budget the UK’S Chancellor, Philip Hammond, announced a £420 million pothole fund, of which Derbyshire County Council will get just over £8.4 million.
However, this extra money can only be spent on potholes, minor highways works and bridge safety - not broader road repairs or in other departments such as children’s services.
On top of this, it must be spent by March.
County council officers say that this task would put pressure on its materials suppliers and contractors and the authority will likely have to pay out for urgent support to carry out the project.
If and when there are capacity issues and there is an urgent need for extra help, the authority will draw on the services of Balfour Beatty, as it has done for the past few years.
Yesterday, in a meeting of the county council cabinet, the authority’s leader, Cllr Barry Lewis, and deputy leader, Cllr Spencer, criticised the extra funding.
Council officers say that it may have to hand up to £4 million of the £8.4 million funding over to Balfour Beatty in order to complete work, that it cannot cater for, on time.
A report states: “Although this funding is welcomed and most definitely needed to assist the council in maintaining Derbyshire’s highways network, the time constraints being placed upon the council to utilise this funding before the end of March 2019 places a logistical concern for delivery of full expenditure.”
They also state that “adverse” weather will most likely hamper any road works over winter, placing even further pressure on the authority to spend the money.
The “urgency” of the task is so intense that many of the decisions around the designs and spend of the multi-million pound fund will be made by council officers, not elected members, apart from consultation with Yesterday, in a meeting of the county council cabinet, the authority’s leader, Cllr Barry Lewis, and deputy leader, Cllr Spencer, criticised the extra funding.
Cllr Spencer said: “We have to spend all of this by the end of March, which is going to be challenging.
“We are very glad to have the £8.4 million, but to spend it all in that time, when much of the roads will be under snow over winter so we can’t get at them, will be tough.”
The authority currently faces an uphill battle to make cuts of £70 million by 2022, some £18.5 million of which will be made next year.