North Wales MS Carolyn Thomas welcomes ‘much-needed’ funding to fix potholes

Carolyn Thomas, Member of the Senedd for North Wales, has welcomed the Welsh Government’s draft budget announcement, which includes £25m for road improvements and £60m in local government borrowing to repair potholes and pavements.

The measures aim to fix 100,000 potholes across Wales.

The funding, unveiled as part of the Welsh Government’s draft budget on Tuesday, will help address some of the long-standing issues with the country’s road infrastructure, which has faced significant challenges after more than a decade of funding cuts.

Carolyn Thomas, who previously served as Flintshire County Councillor and Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, called the investment “vital.”

“Whether we are walking, using a bike, car, or bus, we all benefit from well-maintained highways and pavements,” she said. “It is vital that the deterioration of their condition through more than a decade of funding cuts is reversed. This investment is the beginning of that reversal and will bring much-needed public investment into roads and pavements.”

Responding to public concerns

The funding aligns with priorities identified during a Welsh Government listening exercise conducted earlier this year by First Minister Eluned Morgan. Carolyn Thomas joined the First Minister in Connah’s Quay to hear residents’ concerns, where road repairs emerged as a top issue.

“During the listening exercise, the issue brought up most frequently with Eluned and myself was the condition of our roads and the increased number of potholes,” Thomas said.

Following the listening exercise, the First Minister set out four key priorities for her government, including “connecting communities” by improving road conditions.

Empowering local councils

Thomas, who chairs the Senedd’s Cross-Party Group on Public Transport, has long been a vocal advocate for increased investment in highways and for devolving funding to local authorities.

“I’ve been calling for increased funding for highways for years, and for that funding to be further devolved to local authorities who have the knowledge and expertise to best fix the problems,” she said.

She highlighted Flintshire County Council’s new JCB Pothole Pro machine as an example of innovation that is already making road repairs more efficient and cost-effective.

“This new funding will now help local authorities like Flintshire go further and faster in fixing our roads and pavements,” Thomas added.