POTHOLES have become a common frustration for road users in Craven, particularly as the prolonged spell of wet weather has worsened the problem.

But there are now hopes the situation could finally begin to improve in some areas after the Government announced that £603,772, previously allocated for the rail scheme HS2, will be spent resurfacing roads in the area including in Settle, Long Preston, and High Bentham.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak scrapped the northern leg of HS2 last year and pledged to use money intended for the scheme on improving transport in the north.

The Department for Transport has now said which local authorities across Yorkshire will benefit from the latest tranche of funding for road resurfacing, which it says will result in £991 million in reallocated HS2 funding for the region.

Roads across North Yorkshire will be resurfaced including three in the Craven district including Duke Street, Settle, £208,000; Langbar Lane, Long Preston, £195,000; and Main Street, High Bentham, £200,772.

North Yorkshire Council will now be required to submit quarterly reports from June, announcing work which has taken place over three months.

The government says it means residents will be able to scrutinise the progress of the works as these reports will be published online.

Transport secretary Mark Harper said: “We’re on the side of drivers, which is why this Government is getting on with delivering our plan to invest £991 million in Yorkshire and the Humber as part of the biggest-ever funding increase for local road improvements, made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.

“Alongside this unprecedented funding, which is already being used to improve local roads, we’re making sure residents can hold their local authority to account and see for themselves how the investment will be spent to improve local roads for years to come.”

Meanwhile, it was announced last month that North Yorkshire Council will receive £3.5m from HS2 to put on extra buses across 20 different routes.

Earlier this month, North Yorkshire Council announced from April it would be starting its annual road road surface dressing programme.

North Yorkshire Council’s highways capital programme totals £53 million for this financial year, of which £25.3m has been allocated to road schemes.

This includes £5m for the surface dressing programme, running in April and May and covering 142 miles of roads.

A total of £6.7m will be spent on road patching at 300 sites, and a further £13.6m on road resurfacing schemes at 130 sites.

Work in Cowling, West Marton and Cross Hills, is expected to take place in late May.