Motorists and cyclists are set to benefit from the government’s record £6 billion spending spree to fix potholes across England over the next six years.

The £1 billion-a-year investment will be enough to fill in 18 million potholes, according to the department for transport, as well as improving other local road infrastructure.

The southwest will benefit the most, with £850 million going to the region, while the northeast will receive the least with £270 million.

It is the first time councils have been given locked-in funding over this length in time, which the government says will help local authorities plan ahead and save money for the taxpayer. Patrick McLoughlin, the transport secretary, said potholes were a menace and that long-term planning would put an end to short-term fixes.

Labour reacted angrily, suggesting the government’s poor record on road maintenance was the reason such a large investment was needed. The party pointed to the department for transport’s 2013 road conditions report that showed spending on minor roads had fallen by 20 per cent since the coalition came to power in 2010. According to the report, 17 per cent of local roads — more than 19,000 miles — should be considered for maintenance work.

“You can’t believe a single word ministers say,” 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. This Tory government is all talk. Motorists have had enough of their failure and broken promises.”

More than £4.7 billion will be shared between 115 English councils, while £575 million will be set aside to help repair and maintain highway infrastructure such as junctions, bridges and street lighting. The remaining money will go into an incentive fund scheme to reward councils that deliver cost effective improvements.

Local authorities welcomed the investment, but said £6 billion fell far short of the amount needed to repair Britain’s “poor quality” roads. The Local Government Association (LGA) criticised the decision to hold back more than £1 billion, insisting all the funds should go to town halls.

An LGA spokesman said: “Previous LGA analysis of the £6 billion funding over five years found it equated to an extra £300 million a year on top of the £700 million councils were expecting, but was still £800 million short of what was needed to repair the poor quality of roads in one year alone. So while helpful, this new money does not bridge the overall funding gap which is increasing year on year.

“It would be more useful if the whole £6 billion was given to councils to get on with the important job of fixing roads, rather than £1 billion of it being tied up in Whitehall bureaucracy.

“Recent harsh winters and decades of underfunding by successive governments have created a national backlog of road repairs that would take £12 billion and a decade for councils to fix.”

Mr McLoughlin said: “Poorly maintained local roads, blighted by potholes, are a menace to all road users, particularly during the festive period as people travel to see family and friends.”