Millions of pounds are being pledged by the Mayor of the East Midlands to help the region’s local highways authorities tackle the scourge of drivers – potholes.
Today is National Pothole Day and the Mayor of the East Midlands wants to ensure the region’s four highways authorities – Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire County, Derby City and Derbyshire County councils – have funding to tackle the problem.
Mayor Claire Ward said: “As Mayor of the East Midlands, I’m not responsible for highways – that responsibility sits with our four councils. However, I am keen to ensure they have as much funding as I can provide to them, so that they can do as good a job on our roads.”
Members of the authority’s transport committee are meeting today, Thursday 15 January 2026, to consider a draft transport budget for 2026/27, which will then go to the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) board for approval at the next board meeting on Monday 26 January.
The budget proposes allocating £121m to the four authorities for highways maintenance, with £8m for both Derby and Nottingham, £46.9m for Nottinghamshire and £58m for Derbyshire.
It follows the Government’s launch of road maintenance ratings for local authorities across the country ahead of National Pothole Day this week, with each authority given a rating of green, amber or red.
While 16 authorities were given the top, green rating, Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire County and Derby City were among the 125 authorities given an overall rating of amber.
Derbyshire County Council was one of the just 16 authorities given the bottom, red rating.
The ratings – published in the week of National Pothole Day – are based on three measures:
Both Nottinghamshire County and Nottingham City were amber for condition and best practice, but green for spend.
Derby City was rated amber for condition and spend – but given a green rating for wider best practice.
Derbyshire was amber for spend and best practice, but red for condition, with the state of the county’s 5,346 kilometres of roads ranked among the worst in the country.
Mayor Claire urged Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham to learn from Derby City’s best practice when it comes to tackling potholes.
Mayor Claire said: “Years of underinvestment in our roads has left them in a condition that leaves a lot to be desired – and sadly the sheer volume of potholes mean it is not a problem which can be remedied overnight.
“This year I gave our councils a 40 per cent uplift in their funding to help with that maintenance of our highways.
Now, as I start to prepare the budget for the coming financial year, starting in April, I want to see what else I can do to help them get more money to give us good quality, safe roads, not just for car drivers, but for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
“Derby City was also recognised by the Department for Transport for its best practice when it comes to roads maintenance and I urge the other highways authorities to follow Derby’s lead to improve our roads for everyone.”
EMCCA gave the four authorities were given a combined £75.7 million towards roads maintenance for 2025/26, a 40 per cent increase on the funds awarded in 2024/25 – with a further 60 per cent uplift proposed for 2026/27, to £121m.
This investment in road improvements comes in the midst of Mayor Claire’s Big Transport Conversation, asking local people for their views on how to make transport in the East Midlands easier to use, cleaner, and better connected.
Buses are a key focus, with plans to make services more reliable, affordable, and accessible, while improving stops and routes to better connect communities. The 15-year vision also tackles congestion, air pollution, and safer, greener travel, ensuring everyone in the East Midlands has easy, reliable ways to get around by 2040.
The Mayor’s Big Transport Conversation is running until 8 February – have your say on the transport network you want to see here.