Local authorities in England must prove they are making significant progress in repairing roads and addressing what the government calls a “pothole plague” or risk losing millions in funding, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.
From mid-April, the road maintenance budget for English councils will receive a £500 million boost. However, councils will only automatically receive 75% of the additional funding.
The remaining 25% will be contingent on the publication of annual reports detailing progress on pothole repairs and broader road maintenance efforts. If councils fail to provide the required data, their withheld funds will be reallocated to other councils that can demonstrate improvements.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils across the country, criticized the approach, arguing that the government should prioritize long-term preventative measures over short-term pothole repairs.
The LGA has estimated that fully addressing the backlog of road repairs would take more than a decade and cost approximately £17 billion.
According to the RAC, England and Wales currently have an average of six potholes per mile of road, posing significant risks to drivers and cyclists.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer emphasized the dangers of deteriorating roads, stating that they “not only risk lives but also cost working families, drivers, and businesses hundreds—if not thousands—of pounds in avoidable vehicle repairs.”
While the government insists councils have the resources needed to improve roads, some local leaders remain unconvinced. Lucy Nethsingha, leader of Cambridgeshire County Council and chair of the LGA’s Liberal Democrat group, dismissed the announcement as misleading.
“The implication that we are not spending money well is not helpful,” Nethsingha said. “This is money that has already been announced multiple times. There is extra red tape, but no extra funding.”
She highlighted that Cambridgeshire alone faces a £410 million shortfall in road repair funding, while the government’s allocation for the entire country is £500 million.
“Our roads are like a worn-out pair of trousers—you can keep fixing the holes, but what you really need is a new pair,” she said, calling for comprehensive resurfacing rather than patchwork fixes.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander acknowledged that the funding would not resolve all pothole-related issues but defended the government’s approach.
She stated that the new rules would improve transparency by requiring councils to publish data on spending, the number of potholes filled, and long-term road maintenance strategies.
“We want councils to be open and honest about how they are using the money so the public can go onto their local council’s website and see what action is being taken,” Alexander said.
Under the new regulations, councils must submit reports by the end of June detailing road maintenance activities.
Additionally, they must demonstrate that they have consulted local communities on repair priorities by October. Councils failing to meet these conditions will see 25% of their funding withheld.
The LGA reiterated its call for a more strategic, long-term approach to road maintenance. “Reactively fixing potholes is more expensive than preventing them in the first place,” a spokesperson said.
Labour previously pledged to repair up to one million potholes per year, but critics, including Shadow Transport Secretary Gareth Bacon, dismissed the latest announcement as a “pothole sticking plaster” rather than a genuine solution to England’s deteriorating road infrastructure.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
