Peterborough Gains £1m Roads Funding, No Pothole Fix

Peterborough City Council is set to receive nearly £1 million in unexpected highway funding next year, but none of it will be used to address the city’s ongoing pothole problems.

The council’s highways budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year will now exceed £8.5 million after the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority allocated an additional £1,418,000 in Integrated Transport Block (ITB) funding. The Integrated Transport Block is a government grant used to improve transport infrastructure. However, despite the public frustration over deteriorating road surfaces, the extra funds will focus strictly on integrated transport upgrades, street lighting improvements, and general highway enhancements. The funding for pothole repairs and bridge maintenance will remain unchanged at previously approved levels.

According to council documents, the distribution of funds will include £1,418,000 for integrated transport improvements, £3,066,565 for highways upgrades, £1,885,529 earmarked for pothole prevention, £1 million for street lighting, and £1.2 million for bridge improvements. The additional £994,307 that came as part of the latest allocation will not expand the pothole budget, despite mounting calls from motorists for urgent repairs.

The council’s cabinet, scheduled to meet on July 15, is expected to approve the award of new works to M Group Limited, the contractor formerly known as Milestone Infrastructure Services Limited. The council emphasised that the funding will help deliver projects aimed at improving connectivity and keeping roads in usable condition, with a focus on both active travel and vehicle use.

A report prepared for the meeting states, “The additional funding will be used to deliver projects that will enhance the use of transport in the city, whether this be through active travel schemes or vehicular use.” Officials argue that maintaining a “balanced programme” is necessary to meet statutory obligations and longer-term priorities.

While the improvements to lighting and integrated transport may be welcomed by some residents, others will likely view the decision to leave pothole funding static as yet another example of local authorities failing to prioritise basic maintenance over less urgent projects.