Road users across West Northamptonshire are set to benefit from an additional £2.86 million investment into the road network across the area.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is investing an additional £1 million for 2023/24 into our roads. The Council is also looking to invest in new technologies to help maintain the roads it is responsible for more efficiently and to a better standard.

In addition to the Council’s additional investment, WNC has been awarded £1.86 million from the Government to boost the planned improvements for the year ahead.

As part of the new Highways contract which kick-started in September 2022, WNC is working with Kier to deliver a multi-million-pound plan to maintain our road network through the Community Enhancement Plan. This work has reached over 161 parishes, clearing nearly 4km of vegetation and cleaning more than 1,500 road signs to date. Alongside this, Kier has also rectified over 1,688 road and footpath defects, and 6,771 carriageway repairs.

Cllr Phil Larratt, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport, Highways and Waste, said: “We are committed to working with Kier to manage the Highways network across the area better.

“We have a planned programme of works to repair our roads, and we will always do our best to act on reports of potholes. In addition to the £1 million boost we’re investing into our planned programme; we welcome the news that the Government has provided a further £1.896 million towards improving the road network in West Northamptonshire. There is a vast amount of work to do to improve the state of the roads across West Northamptonshire, but this investment is a step in the right direction.”

John Coombes, general manager at Kier Highways, said: “This investment is welcomed and will allow us to accelerate our maintenance and repair works across West Northamptonshire. Working collaboratively with the council and our specialist supply chain partners, we are committed to providing a high-quality service and improving the network for road users.”

As part of the new contract, Kier set out their commitment to working with WNC on sustainability goals to achieve net zero emissions by 2030, as well as increasing social value to benefit the wider West Northants community and economy, such as supporting local disadvantaged groups and working with local sub-contractors.

To find out more about the Highways services across West Northamptonshire visit: www.westnorthants.gov.uk/highways or visit @WNHighways on Facebook and Twitter.