POTHOLES should be filled in a lot quicker in South Gloucestershire when the authority receives an extra £400,000 to help repair winter damaged roads.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced a £100 million pot of cash for English councils to help repair potholes formed during the recent freezing weather.

The money will be distributed on a needs basis and South Gloucestershire is likely to receive around £400,000 based on the same formula as last year when a similar scheme was rolled out.

The DfT cash will be used to pay for priority schemes, which range from pothole repairs to patching and complete resurfacing projects.

The authority has already filled around 2,500 potholes since the start of 2011.

On average, South Gloucestershire spends around £500,000 per year on repairing potholes and £200,000 on patching. In recent years, the council has invested an additional £2 million into road surfacing.

Cllr Heather Goddard, executive member for community services, said: "This extra money is good news for South Gloucestershire.

"Last year, we received £400,000 under a similar scheme. This cash was used to fill potholes, patch and resurface roads across the county in response to the severe weather damage.

"This year, we have already identified several areas where work is needed as a matter of urgency and this cash will be prioritised into these schemes."

The council will receive official confirmation about how much it will receive from central government shortly.