Lincolnshire County Council is to provide an extra £10 million for roads in response to recent flooding and extreme weather.

Revised budget proposals include millions of pounds of additional funding to support businesses, respond to flooding and repair roads.

In light of the economic impact of coronavirus, the council’s executive has proposed using some the council’s reserves to provide an additional £12m to help support local businesses. There is also an extra £200,000 for flood response, said the council as well as £2.2million to be used on drainage repairs and projects to reduce the risk of flooding across the county.

Cllr Martin Hill OBE, leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We know local businesses have had a particularly tough time during the pandemic, so we want to make additional support available. Thanks to our careful financial management over the years, we do have reserves we can draw on in times of emergency, and now is the right time to do that.

“We are also recommending that extra funding is made available for flood response and roads as we know these areas are a priority for our residents.”

In this year’s budget, the council is proposing to invest around £200m in infrastructure and building projects, such as improvements to local schools and new roads.

“Repairing banks, reconstructing culverts and replacing drainage pipes are just some of the things our highways and flooding teams will be doing over the coming year”, explains Cllr Colin Davie, executive member for environment at Lincolnshire County Council.

“We’ve had a pretty challenging few years with unprecedented amounts of rain, causing significant flooding issues for many residents, so as well as addressing drainage issues we will be working hard to understand why certain places have flooded and what action may be necessary in the future.”