Derbyshire highways chief feels damaged roads need greater investment despite funding boost

Derbyshire County Council’s highways chief is relatively pleased to have secured a share of £175m of Government funding towards highways maintenance and potholes but she says there is still a lot more investment needed given the damage to the county’s roads.

The Conservative-led county council is to benefit from a share of £175m earmarked for transport projects in the East Midlands for the 2025-26 financial year after the Labour Government funding was approved by the East Midlands Combined County Authority.

Derbyshire will benefit from a share of £75m allocated as a Highways Maintenance Block to be received by EMCCA to go on road repairs and it will also benefit from a share of £66m of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements funding also to be received by EMCCA.

The CRSTS funding is also to be used to support road repairs and improvements to highways and for projects to make walking, cycling, and public transport easier.

However, County Cllr Charlotte Cupit, Cabinet Member for Highways Assets and Transport, explained the £75m of funding is for all East Midlands’ main EMCCA councils – Derbyshire, Derby City, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham City – which she claims means Derbyshire County Council is only receiving the same money from this pot that it always gets for highways and that it is actually slightly less this year in terms of new Government grants.

Concerning the £75m for highways maintenance, Cllr Cupit said: “It’s the same money we always get for highways, having had slightly less this year in terms of new Government grants.

“However, the CRSTS money, £66m across the region, is new money as a result of having the Combined Authority.

“In Derbyshire, we’ve campaigned hard for a large portion of this to be allocated to highways maintenance, including landslip repairs, with the aim of improving our existing network, which is what residents and we all want.

“Therefore, I am pleased we’ve been successful in this campaign, and we’re gearing up to deliver this on the ground this next year, with a further record highways and resurfacing programme. There’s still a lot more investment needed given the damage to our roads, but this is a positive boost to the resurfacing focus we’ve been doing.”

Cllr Cupit previously accused the Labour Government’s funding announcement in December of nearly £76m for the county’s and Nottinghamshire’s road and pothole repairs as ‘smoke and mirrors’ after she claimed most of this money simply reflected a usual maintenance grant.

She explained Derbyshire’s share of the approved £75m will be similar to what the council usually gets and she fears it might be slightly less and she has claimed that it does not take into account reduced funding for the county’s roads from the Government in the 2024-25 financial year.

Derbyshire County Council aims to invest its share of the overall funding in repairing roads and on works to help prevent landslips, particularly on key routes, with the overall £66m CRSTS money for the East Midlands allocated to support road repairs, improvements to highways, and projects to make walking, cycling, and public transport easier, and the £75m allocated for road repairs in the East Midlands in 2025/26.

Derby City Council will also receive funding for several key projects, including the A52/A52T Spondon Interchange to allow better traffic flow and support active travel initiatives making it easier and safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

The overall funding allocations from the £175m of Government funding for the East Midlands include: £21m for Bus Service Improvement Plans; £12.86m for Integrated Transport Block Funding to deliver activities across the transport network; £7.27m for an Active Travel Fund to improve walking, wheeling and cycling and infrastructure; The £66m CRSTS funding; And the £75m for highways maintenance.

EMCCA stated that £88m of the overall funding is new to the region and is a consequence of the East Midlands having a new regional Mayor and a new combined county authority and that a further £19m of funding is also being considered in the future.

The combined county authority will manage funding for large regional projects such as junction improvement works which are a key planning condition for enabling the new A50 junction at the South Derby Growth Zone.

EMCCA funding will also support the works on the A614 / A6097 scheme in Nottinghamshire and a commissioned study will start the work to review the potential for expanding the Nottingham Express Transit  system to support housing and job growth.

East Midlands Labour Mayor Claire Ward said: “This is a huge step forward for transport in the East Midlands. We want to invest millions to build a better, more connected future for our communities. This funding will make a real difference to everyday lives, making travel easier, safer, and more reliable, whether by bus, bike, or on foot, while also tackling much-needed road repairs.

“By working closely with our local councils and partners, we will ensure every pound is spent wisely to improve transport links, reduce congestion, and support greener, more sustainable ways to travel. This is about more than just infrastructure – it’s about connecting people to opportunities, whether that’s jobs, skills training, education, or our fantastic local attractions.

“Our ambition is clear. To create a transport system that not only meets the needs of today but also lays the foundations for a stronger, more prosperous East Midlands in the future. We want this region to be a place where people and businesses can thrive, and this funding, when approved, will be a major step toward achieving that vision.”

EMCCA is the single public transport body for the region and services and resources from councils are being transferred over to the authority as it aims to improve transport in the region by making it easier to travel and by reducing the impact on the environment.