Local authorities in the East Midlands have published which roads will benefit from the first instalment of £959 million reallocated HS2 funding to resurface local roads - apart from Rutland County Council, which has not yet responded to the Department for Transport's survey setting out plans for use of this additional funding.

Yesterday, Tuesday 10 April, the Department for Transport revealed the local authorities receiving funding in the East Midlands which have responded to the Department's survey request to set out their plans, meaning local people can now check their local council's websites and scrutinise their plans for themselves.  

As the only council that has not responded, according to the DfT, the plan for Rutland's roads is uncertain.

The local authorities in the East Midlands who have responded to the Department's survey request to set out their plans are:   

• Derby   
• Derbyshire   
• Leicester   
• Leicestershire   
• Lincolnshire   
• North Northamptonshire   
• Nottingham   
• Nottinghamshire   
• West Northamptonshire   

The local authorities who have not responded to the Department's survey request, but have indicated that their plans will be published shortly are: 

• Rutland   

This additional funding comes as a part of the Government's plan to back drivers and significantly invest in local road improvements across the East Midlands - following the cancellation of HS2.

A programme of pothole repairs and road resurfacing projects for the East Midlands, made possible by the first tranche of £959 million in reallocated HS2 funding for the region, was revealed yesterday - with the first set of roads already resurfaced to make journeys safer, faster and smoother. 

Last November, the Government announced an unprecedented £8.3 billion investment to tackle badly surfaced roads and pothole ridden streets across England, with the East Midlands receiving £959 million over an 11 year period.  

Councils in the East Midlands have already been paid over £16 million to get on with the work and deliver improvements, with another £16 million following in this financial year. As a condition of this funding, and to make sure money is being spent on pothole repairs, local authorities are required to publish a two year plan detailing exactly which local roads will benefit.  

An initiative intending to bring increased transparency to how local councils deliver taxpayer-funded improvements, residents in the East Midlands can now immediately see the benefits to their area made possible by reallocated HS2 funding and hold their local authority to account for delivering local road improvements.     

The reporting requirements have highlighted how emerging techniques and equipment are being used to tackle potholes in the East Midlands, such as in Leicestershire, where innovative software is being used to improve efficiency in highway maintenance planning. Meanwhile, motorsport fans heading to Silverstone can expect smoother journeys on the A43 at Towcester. The Department has already been clear with those local authorities that have failed to publish reports that they could see the withdrawal of future funding to resurface roads.     

All of the £19.8 billion saved from the Northern leg of HS2 will be reinvested in transport across the North, all of the £9.6 billion saved from the Midlands leg will be reinvested in transport across the Midlands, with the £6.5 billion saved through the new approach at Euston being spread across every other region in the country. Projects and improvements in the South and East of England are made possible by savings from Euston.  

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: "We're on the side of drivers, which is why this Government is getting on with delivering our plan to invest £959 million in the East Midlands as part of the biggest ever funding increase for local road improvements, made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.    

"Alongside this unprecedented funding, which is already being used to improve local roads, we're making sure residents can hold their local authority to account and see for themselves how the investment will be spent to improve local roads for years to come."     

Having submitted their first reports last month, all other councils in the East Midlands, will now also be required to submit quarterly reports from June, announcing work which has taken place over three months, meaning residents will now regularly be able to scrutinise the progress their local authority is doing to tackle potholes.

The Government's long-term plan to improve local road networks across the country could save motorists up to £440 on vehicles repairs and is the biggest ever uplift in funding for local road improvements.       

This Government is backing drivers, and alongside the unprecedented increase in road maintenance funding, it is delivering for motorists through the Plan for Drivers, ensuring traffic schemes like Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and 20mph speed limits have buy-in from local people, cutting congestion and accelerating the rollout of electric vehicle charge points.