CUMBRIA has been awarded £141 million for fixing pot holes and road defects over the next six years.

The grant from central Government is broadly in line with funding awarded in previous years.

Cumbria's allocation is the third largest share in the North West which is being allocated £625 million.

A Cumbria County Council spokesman said it would be spent on defects of all kinds, rather than entirely on potholes.

Decisions will be made by the county council's local committees on where highways maintenance money should be spent with the support and advice of highways teams and is dependent on road length and the amount of defects.

Labour's Cllr Keith Little, cabinet member for highways, said: “We have 4,800 miles of roads in Cumbria, the second largest county road network in the country. We need money to help us maintain these roads as they are vital for our communities and for economic growth. It is a very welcome announcement, particularly in the light of current budget cuts.”

“This certainly will allow us to plan our maintenance works better and ensure we use the funding as efficiently as we can. It will be invested in pothole repairs, bridge maintenance, surface dressing, winter maintenance and more.”

Cumbria has 60 miles of motorway, 221 miles of trunk road, 407 miles of A roads, 1,798 miles of B and C roads and 2,317 miles of unclassified roads. A total of 242 miles are unsurfaced and it makes for a grand total of 5,048 miles in total.

However, the GMB union, which represents many roads maintenance workers, claimed the national sum is less than half the official estimate needed to cover the backlog of road repairs.

It said: "The government is being penny wise and pound foolish as money saved not fixing potholes leads to much more serious damage that can only be fixed at a much higher cost later."

South Lakes MP Tim Farron, commented: "Potholes are a big problem for drivers. They can cause damage to cars and even lead to accidents. Now that the county council have got this funding, I want them to spend it and get those potholes filled."

Nationally, the Government will be providing local authorities in England, excluding London, with just under £6 billion.

A succession of severe winters and the devastating floods earlier this year have left councils struggling with road maintenance.

To report a pothole or defect, call the highways hotline on 0845 609 6609.