William Eichler 06 February 2026

Mayor plans to double pothole repair funding

Mayor plans to double pothole repair funding image
© Patrick Shutterstock / Shutterstock.com.

Mayor Richard Parker has announced plans to double funding for pothole repairs and road resurfacing across the West Midlands, aiming to tackle what he described as the region’s ‘crumbling’ highways.

Under the proposals, £240m would be made available to six councils — Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton — to fund highway maintenance over five years from April 2027. This represents a significant increase on the £120m allocated for the current five-year period.

The plans will be considered by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Board when it meets on Friday, February 13.

The announcement follows an additional £20m secured last year from the Department for Transport to support road repairs between 2025 and 2027, allowing councils to fix thousands more potholes in the meantime.

The mayor said poor road conditions were a major frustration for residents and posed safety risks for motorists and cyclists. He added that doubling investment would help deliver smoother, safer journeys, alongside extra funding for smaller safety projects such as crossings, junctions and pathways.

Check out: Pothole Pressures: Refining road maintenance ratings

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