MORE than £1 million is to be spent on improving and upgrading Redditch roads this year, writes Becky Procter.

Worcestershire County Council revealed the Highways Partnership Unit for Redditch has been given a 26 per cent increase compared to last year.

The money will come on top of about £350,000 earmarked for the Safer Routes to School initiative.

Highways Partnership Unit manager for Redditch, Jim Casey, said: "I am pleased with the allocation.

"We could have done with more but it is good to see that we are now getting more money from the Government for road maintenance."

The allocation has been split into seven areas, including £650,000 for structural footways and carriageways and £63,000 for drainage works.

Up to £70,000 will be contributed to Redditch Council's grass cutting programme, £79,000 to gully cleaning and emptying and £42,000 to signing and marking.

About £217,000 will be spent on capital works on major highways and £44,000 will be injected into traffic management and winter maintenance.

The highways unit has also announced a programme of works to take place before the end of June.

Roads to be surface treated include Bromsgrove Highway, Warwick Highway, Dagnell End Road, Icknield Street, The Slough and Callow Hill Lane.

Smaller roads included in the programme of works are Heathfield Road, Parsons Road, Mayfields, Green Lane, Batchley Road and Beverley Close.