Wettest February on record prompts Herts County Council to spend further £3m on road repairs

East Anglia’s wettest February on record has prompted Herts County Council to spend a further £3m on road repairs.

This additional money, reprioritised from the 2025-26 budget, will support existing plans to maintain 5,000 km (3,106 miles) of roads, 5,500 km (3,417 miles) of footpaths as well as cycleways.

The £3m is in addition to £2m to be spent on maintaining drainage systems together with £2m set aside for preventative work.

Overall, the council says it is investing £106m in repairs and maintenance in 2024-25 and undertaking over 1,100 strategic maintenance and improvement schemes across the county.

The authority's Conservative leader, Cllr Richard Roberts, said: “We know that the condition and safety of our roads, paths and cycleways really matter to our residents and it matters to us too.

"We can’t control the weather, but we’re doing everything we can in difficult circumstances to help residents move safely around the county.

“We’ll use this additional money to prioritise work where it is most needed and will make the greatest impact to keep Hertfordshire moving.”

By the end of this financial year (March 31), the HCC highways teams will have fixed around 65,000 potholes – 40,000 more than the previous year.

This year East Anglia had its warmest and wettest February since records began in 1884. The region saw 106.4mm (4.19in) of rain in the month and had a mean temperature of 8.2C (46.8F).