An extra £7.1 million will be invested in improving services across Somerset, it was announced on Friday (May 2nd).
Somerset County Council had already announced plans to spend £46.5m as part of the 2014/15 Capital Investment Programme back in February.
This additional money includes £4.5m to repair roads damaged by the severe weather this winter, £1.6m to update and improve the council’s traffic management system, an extra £800,000 to support vulnerable groups, and £180,000 to develop an IT system to help Adult Social Care service users.
The council has received a grant of £4.5m from the Department for Transport which is earmarked for repairing roads damaged by severe weather this winter.
The Council will aso be investing £1.6m on updating a traffic management system ahead of the national change from analogue to digital technology in three years’ time. It should lead to improved reliability, effectiveness, security and public information on the highways network across Somerset.
On Adult Social Care services, there will be an investment of £180,000 to allow the council to develop an Information, advice and guidance web portal for service users that will allow people to easily find out what services are available.
Cllr David Huxtable, Somerset County Council Cabinet member for Resources, said: “Among our key priorities are to improve transport links, make Somerset a safer and healthier place, and provide good quality services for those who need them.”
“We’ve already invested £46.5m to do this, and I’m pleased we are able to add another £7.1m into this pot which will make a real difference and benefit people across the county.”
