Devon County Council will allocate an extra £3 million for highways reactive maintenance in the current financial year.

The council decided to tackle damage to the county’s road network caused by the severe winter weather across Devon.Storms Goretti, Ingrid, and Chandra caused widespread damage and urgency for repairs across the county, creating increased demand for pothole repairs, winter gritting, and storm recovery work. This includes emergency works to protect coastal properties at Slapton, Torcross and Beesands, areas that were particularly affected by recent storms.

Councillor James Buczkowski, Devon County Council's Cabinet Member with responsibility for finance, said: “Devon has one of the largest road networks in the country, and periods of severe winter weather inevitably take their toll. The additional £3 million agreed today will help address the pressures created by storms and winter conditions across the network.

"It also sits alongside the significant increase in highways funding we have already agreed for next year, including over £36 million for highways maintenance and more than £100 million for preventative maintenance on our roads."Maintaining Devon’s roads is essential for residents, businesses and rural communities who rely on them every day. This additional funding will help us respond to the pressures of winter while continuing to increase investment in the years ahead.”

This investment accompanies the council's significant increase in highway funding already agreed for the year ahead, including over £36 million for highways maintenance, an increase of £6 million compared with the previous year and more than £100 million in capital investment for preventative maintenance.

Devon County Council maintains around 8,000 miles of roads, making it one of the local authorities managing the largest highway networks in England.