This week, the Government announced £100million nationwide to fix potholes caused by the adverse winter weather and £2.5million of that has come to Somerset. This will be very welcome news for local motorists and cyclists who will be only too aware of how many potholes there are in our roads.
Some have said that it would be better if the roads were maintained in the first place and there weren’t potholes at all. Of course they are right, but at the same time we have to strike a balance between maintaining the roads we have and building the new roads that are needed to service our growing local economy.
When we look at Somerset at the moment, we can see new roads that are already making a difference to local residents. The South Bristol Link Road has reduced journey times for the many residents of the Wells constituency who commute to Bristol every day, whilst new roads in Taunton are making our county town much more accessible to visitors and commuters alike.
Of course it is not just roads we need to build and maintain; better rail connections from Burnham and Highbridge will be very welcome for those commuting to Bristol and further afield as well. Whilst the Government’s recent announcement that some of the Beeching cuts could be reversed is particularly exciting as it could mean we are able to reactivate the rail line from Shepton Mallet. This would be extremely helpful for Mendip residents who have no option for their commute but to drive or take buses which too often get caught in Bristol traffic.
I am clear that infrastructure improvements – both physical and digital – are the essential ingredients to allow our economy to grow and to provide for new residents who come with that growth. Money for potholes is very welcome but it’s the new roads and rail connections that I want most of all.