Weca Budget set for big rise with extra £7m planned to fix potholes

The West of England Combined Authority is proposing to increase its budget by nine per cent for the 2026-2027 financial year, to £416 million.

- Hannah BAKER

The funding will be used for a range of projects such as transport improvements, including fixing potholes.

Weca has proposed spending £11 million on tackling the region's housing crisis and £32 million on highway maintenance, including an extra £7 million to repair potholes across the Bristol and Bath area.

The transport levy is set to increase by £1.6 million to invest in buses, on top of the first three-year Bus Grant for the West of England, which Weca said would allow £28 million to be spent on supported services and £9 million on fare offers such as free travel for care leavers; capped child bus fares; and its ‘Kids Go Free’ holiday scheme.

Elsewhere, Fashion Museum Bath is set to receive £1.745million of regional funding from the Investment Fund to support its relocation to the Grade-II listed Old Post Office in the Milsom Quarter, with a full business case set to be drawn up in the summer.