Council to get £2.4m roads improvement funding boost - here's where the cash will be spent

Wakefield Council is set to receive an extra £2.4m of investment to improve the district’s roads and pavements.

Senior councillors are being asked to accept the sum from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) at a meeting on June 17.

The funding will be split into two areas, with £1.4m going towards work on local roads and around £1m being used to make improvements to footpaths.

According to a report, the financial boost will go towards improvements at Wrenthorpe Bypass, Carr Gate; Common Lane, Upton; Bacon Avenue, Normanton; Barnsley Road, South Elmsall; Pope Street, Whitwood; St Pauls Drive , Alverthorpe; Standbridge Lane, Kettlethorpe, and Thornes Moor Road, Thornes.

Matthew Morley, the council’s cabinet member for highways and planning, said the authority had already invested £20m to improve roads over the next two years.

He said: “Making travelling around the district easier will always be a top local priority.

“This additional £2.4m will be used to fund even more improvements to our roads and pavements.

“We have an ambitious plan to deliver 120 highway improvement schemes this year and are working hard so that every pound spent makes the biggest difference it can.”

The council is responsible for maintaining 1,454 km of roads, 1,944 km of footways, and 150 km of cycle lanes and tracks.

Last year, the authority carried out repairs to over 3,100 potholes and expects to spend over £1m on further pothole repairs in 2025.

Coun Morley added: “We are investing in our roads and footpaths every day.

“Getting this extra funding will really help us to keep people moving right across our district.”

The funding is being provided from WYCA’s city region sustainable transport settlement.

A report to cabinet members said: “This additional funding facilitates the delivery of schemes which due to increased costs would not be achievable from previous allocated funding.

“This investment will be made to manage and maintain the network and to keep users safe.

“The highway network is one of the district’s key assets, and it is essential that it is safe to serve the everyday needs of the local community, business users, partners, visitors, and commuters.”