Council unveils plans to improve city's roads including pothole problems as part of £55m investment
The City Council has earmarked over £7m to improve the city’s road networks including tackling ongoing pot-hole problems in Sunderland.
At a recent cabinet meeting, councillors welcomed plans to invest £6.4m for “dozens of highways maintenance and transport schemes” as well as an additional £1m “for pot-hole repairs”.
Looking ahead to the new financial year, the Council has also outlined plans to invest £12.5m on vehicle and replacements such as vans, trucks, mechanical sweepers and grass cutters, £6m on property maintenance, £3.5m for infrastructure updates at the Port of Sunderland, and £2m on ICT updates.
As part of a £55m investment put forward in the proposed plan, the City Council’s cabinet has also proposed to spend over £2m on “improving high needs facilities at schools and academies to help address low levels of attendance and increase inclusion”.
Councillor Alison Smith, the City Council's Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Equalities, said: "We’re an ambitious city and to be ambitious we must continue to maintain and keep investing in our infrastructure and facilities for residents, businesses and visitors."
The plans now need to be ratified at the Council’s budget meeting on Wednesday March 4.
Councillor Smith added: "From listening to residents and our City Plan, we must continue investing in our infrastructure to help drive economic regeneration and growth.
“We have to update and develop our strategic assets, maintain and improve transport connectivity, provide for a healthy smart city with investment in education and skills; and provide for a vibrant smart city with investment in our neighbourhoods and cultural assets.
"The new proposals include schemes which support the delivery of front-line services to our residents across the city, such as enrichment facilities for children with higher needs, replacements of vehicles, plant and equipment, improvements to the council’s property portfolio and investment into operational ICT assets.
"There is also further investment in regeneration with the extra support to meet the Riverside Sunderland Masterplan and Sunniside Place Strategy objectives as well as investment in infrastructure, plant and equipment at the Port of Sunderland."