WILTSHIRE Council is to get £86m of Government money to tackle potholes in the next six years.

The Department for Transport revealed today how nearly £6bn, which was allocated to the problem in June 2013, is to be divided between councils across the country.

Wiltshire is to get £16.5m in 2015/16, £15.2m in 2016/17 and £14.7m in 2017/18.

For the remaining three years of the deal the council will receive £13.3m each year.

But cabinet member for highways John Thomson said that it would not make any difference to the amount Wiltshire had to spend on potholes as it had already committed to spending £21m a year for six years.

He said: “It may mean that we can reduce our borrowing costs on money we have already committed. We decided to spend £21million a year regardless of what the Government came up with as when we spoke to people in Wiltshire it was the single most important thing that they wanted improved.”

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: "We welcome the Government announcement as it provides a level of certainty around funding for the next six years.

"Wiltshire Council is already working hard on essential road improvements. We have already committed to spending £21m a year on road improvements over the next six years.

"Major improvements across Wiltshire will see hundreds of miles of roads resurfaced. This includes the current widening of the A350 around Chippenham to create a dual carriageway, resurfacing the A350 at Westbury, resurfacing the A361 London Road/Horton Road in Devizes, and resurfacing and kerbing work on the A350 at East Knoyle."

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the total figures was enough to fix around 18 million potholes across the country.

But the Local Government Association warned there was "a very long way to go".

The funding is designed to help local authorities tackle potholes and improve local roads between 2015 and 2021.

Mr McLoughlin said: "This huge investment is part of our long term economic plan to ensure we have a transport network fit for the 21st century."

But experts are worried that the budgets could be changed after the General Election in May.

If a councils spends its road repair money elsewhere it won't be able to bid for a share of the extra pots of cash being made available for new junctions, bridges an d cycle paths in the future.

Nationally just over £4.7bn of the cash will be shared between 115 English councils.

They will also be able to bid for a further £575m for the repair and maintenance of local highway infrastructure such as junctions, bridges and street lighting.

Some £578m has also been set side for an incentive scheme to reward councils which demonstrate they are delivering value for money in carrying out cost-effective improvements.

But, speaking about those two additional funds, the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils said: "The money should be given to councils directly to get on with the important job of fixing our roads.

"While helpful, this new money does not bridge the overall funding gap which is increasing year on year. There is still a very long way to go to bring the nation's roads up to scratch."

The Institution of Civil Engineers said the money would be a "welcome boost" but a spokesman added: "Given the one-time road maintenance 'catch up' cost has been estimated at £12bn this year, a significant gap will remain in local authority revenue budgets."

Michael Dugher, Labour's shadow transport secretary, said: "Local roads are in a desperate state under David Cameron. Over 2,220 miles more of our local roads now need maintenance work compared to 2010.

"Hard-pressed motorists and businesses are justifiably sick and tired of having their vehicles damaged because of Britain's pothole crises."