COUNCILS across Merseyside have welcomed almost £3m worth of funding to fix potholes, but say the amount is 'nowhere near' enough to address the region’s 'crisis'.

At A full meeting of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, funding for around £2.78m was approved to fix the potholes of the five council areas.

But Cllr Liam Robinson, portfolio holder for transport, said the amount was a 'pebble in a pothole'.

Presenting the proposed funding, which was then approved at the combined authority meeting last week, he said: “We will right across the districts put this money to good use, but this goes nowhere near the amount we need to address our pothole crisis and beyond.

“When you think of per month – what local road users pay – we need a lot more than this to address the real problem we have got.

“It’s a drop in the ocean – or a pebble in a pothole.”

The amount is made up of £921,055 from the Pothole Action Fund received by the authority in February, as well as £1.86m announced in March to repair potholes and help prevent flooding.

It was recommended for approval by members of the authority 'in order to improve the local road network and to support the economic growth of the region'.

But Deputy Mayor of Liverpool, Cllr Ann O’Byrne told the meeting: “This is a national problem – not just in the north.

“The Government tends to pass on these small amount of money to local authorities but they need to step up.

“Road tax should be devolved down to the city region. In Liverpool we get 1% of the funding we need. It means local authorities borrowing money to address this problem.”

Also at the meeting held on Friday at 1, Mann Island, the combined authority pushed through plans to accept almost £3m to reduce bus emissions.

It’s hoped the move will see the amount of emissions from 149 of Merseyside’s buses more than half.

Members approved the funding, which will see £2.161m go to Arriva, around £330,000 to Cumfybus, just under £180,000 to Stagecoach and £325,000 to Halton Transport.

It will be allocated over a two-year period, and will aim to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides from buses operating in zones that are designated Air Quality Management Areas.

The money came from £30m of funding that was available nationally from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that local authorities could bid for.