Mayor secures extra £8m road repair cash – enough to fill 88,000 potholes

Richard Parker, Mayor of West Midlands has secured a 30% increase in the region’s highway repair funding to fill more potholes, resurface bad roads and give motorists a smoother drive.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has given the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) an extra £8.6 million to fix the region’s roads – enough to fill 88,000 potholes. This is on top of the £24 million funding already awarded for 2025-6.

The extra money will be distributed among six WMCA member councils; Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton according to a set formula – allowing them to accelerate their road maintenance programmes. Birmingham City Council’s road repairs are funded through a separate private finance initiative process.

This additional funding will allow councils to schedule more roads for repair and resurfacing, as well as work to prevent more potholes from forming – improving safety and cutting repair costs for motorists.  The use of modern techniques and materials can also extend the life of a road and reduce the future risk of potholes.

The Mayor, who is also chair of the WMCA, said: “Far too many of our roads are blighted by dangerously deep potholes, cracks and craters leaving motorists to pick up the bill for car repairs and poor driving conditions. This is the result of years of under investment.

“Now, with this funding I’ve secured from Government, our councils can bring even more roads up to scratch and our motorists can enjoy journeys which are quicker, safer and with reduced wear and tear on vehicles.”

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the WMCA, is also working on a Government funded research project to test innovative new road surface materials which are both lower carbon than traditional methods and in some cases longer lasting.

Trials for the Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads project are being carried out across the West Midlands in collaboration with WMCA members and in Scotland by partner North Lanarkshire Council.