COUNCILS in Cheshire have been given more than £3 million to spend on fixing potholes around the county.

Cheshire West and Chester has been given a total of £1,516,590 from a dedicated pothole repair fund while Cheshire East has been given £1,862,407.

The investment will see potentially 28,000 potholes filled in around Cheshire West and 35,000 in Cheshire East.

This comes as part of a greater project whereby councils across England have been allocated £168 million of funding from a dedicated Pothole Repair Fund.

As a condition of receiving the money local authorities are required to publish monthly progress updates on how many potholes have been repaired.

This is the latest in a series of announcements which will see more than £24 billion spent on England’s strategic road network between 2010 and 2021, which is the biggest investment in the road network since the 1970s.

Patrick McLoughlin, transport secretary, said: “Potholes are the bane of all our lives and the funding announced today is an important step in ridding our roads of this menace.

“But it is only one part of a massive programme of investment to get our country up to speed as part of this Government’s long-term economic plan.

“By building, repairing and renewing our key infrastructure we will ensure the future growth and prosperity of this county.”

Councils will now need to publish quarterly updates so that local residents can see how many potholes or miles or resurfacing has been undertaken in their area.

This huge investment in the strategic road network is reflected by a further £7.4 billion committed to local roads in the next Parliament, along with funding from the £12 billion Local Growth Fund.

Councils which are awarded funding have been asked to pledge to use the money to help repair potholes or to ensure that they do not appear in the first place.

All repair works have to be completed by end March 2015.

Have you seen a particularly bad pothole in Northwich? Take a picture and email it in to northwich@guardiangrp.co.uk