Devon’s most urgently needed road repairs will be carried out within the current financial year, according to the county council.

The council is currently working out how best to spend the additional funding announced by the Government last month, as ministers channelled money from the scrapped HS2 extension into transport improvements around the country.

Devon was awarded £6.663 million in this financial year, which the Government said will be followed by the same amount next year, and then a minimum of £208.6 million between now and 2033/34.

Following the funding announcement, the council said this year’s money will help address some of the repair backlog on Devon’s 8,000 miles of roads, including work to prevent potholes getting worse during the winter weather. It will also enable some resurfacing schemes to be brought forward.

Cllr Stuart Hughes, the Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “We are currently prioritising which road repair schemes we will be looking to bring forward with the additional funding recently announced by Government. The £6.663 million we’ve received is very welcome but it will not enable us to repair every road across the county, so decisions will be led by which roads have the greatest need and where we can get best value from the money we have. We will want to progress with work as soon as possible and will aim to carry out repairs this financial year.”

Data released last month by the Department for Transport gave a snapshot of the general condition of road surfaces throughout England, based on the most recent information available in March this year.

In Devon two per cent of A-roads or motorways and 12 per cent of B and C roads were graded red, meaning they ‘should have been considered for maintenance’. Under the amber grading, meaning ‘maintenance may be required soon’, were 27 per cent of A-roads or motorways and  40 per cent of B and C roads. A green rating, meaning ‘no further investigation or work needed’, was given to 70 per cent of A-roads/motorways and 48 per cent of B and C roads.

This data does not indicate the location of the roads.