The Local Government Association is warning that vital investment in local growth and infrastructure projects could suffer if government does not step in to ease the cost of flood repairs.

Councils are now calling for Government help to cover the repair bill estimated to run into hundreds of millions of pounds following the extreme weather this winter. 

The Association is also calling for the Department for Transport to create a highways maintenance emergency fund following the recent spate of heavy rain and flooding. A similar fund was created following similar severe flooding in 2007 and was designed to help affected local authorities with capital funding for emergency and unforeseeable capital works to their local roads network.

The severe weather has left behind a trail of destruction to coastal defences and infrastructure and caused further damage to already dilapidated highways.

Councillor Mike Jones, Chair of the LGA's Environment and Housing Board, said:

"The severe weather has left behind a daunting trail of destruction for councils to clear-up and fix. We were already facing a £10.5 billion repair backlog to bring our highways up to scratch and the damage to our roads by this recent flooding will be considerable and costly.”

"While we are pleased the Bellwin Scheme will be activated, the fact remains that Bellwin is severely limited as it does not cover most capital costs. An emergency highways maintenance fund would provide essential support to those councils who now face hefty and unexpected repair bills as a result of the flooding.”

"These bills are likely to place significant financial pressures on already stretched council finances and it is vital that local communities are not left to suffer as a result. Local communities and local economies need to recover as quickly as possible. This can only be achieved through extra government cash which covers repairs excluded from the Bellwin Scheme."

Based on initial information supplied to the Asphalt Industry Alliance's ALARM survey of council highways managers in England and Wales, the estimated road repair cost of the most recent spell of flooding is around £400 million - the full results will be published in April 2014.

The 2009 storms also cost an estimated £400 million to repair damaged local roads while £338 million was the repair bill reported in the 2013 ALARM to cover effects of 2012's extreme rainfall.