Housing and Local Government Minister Julie James has announced an extra £12m of funding for local authorities to fix potholes and improve roads, pavements and active travel routes across Wales.

The additional funding will allow local authorities to continue with planned highways maintenance works, boosting the economy and making active travel safer.

Local authorities will also be better able to respond to the impact of recent weather events, including damage to highways caused by the recent flooding.

The £12m additional funding further highlights the Welsh Government’s commitment to high quality active travel and public transport.

Llwybr Newydd, the Welsh Government’s new transport strategy, pledged a bold increase in the number of people using public active travel or walking and cycling to get around. It highlighted the need to make best use of existing infrastructure through effective maintenance and management.

Local Government and Housing Minister Julie James said: “We know that during the pandemic with a quieter road network most councils have already made good use of the opportunity to undertake repairs and improvements.

“We are providing this extra funding to reflect the flood damage we have seen to highways across Wales and the ways in which we are using our local environment differently.

“By providing this extra funding, we are enabling local authorities to continue making improvements to roads in Wales, boosting the economy and making roads safer for active travel."