Comment for National Pothole Day

“The backlog of local road repairs in England and Wales stands at an eye watering £16.8 billion* so it’s not surprising that moaning about potholes has become a national pastime for road users.

“Data from the AIA’s Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey reports that 17.5 million potholes** have been filled in the last decade in England and Wales. That’s the equivalent of one every 18 seconds, costing almost £1.1 billion, yet the condition of our local roads continues to be a cause of national embarrassment.

“If we want to see an improvement in the condition and resilience of our local roads, the focus needs to shift away from an endless cycle of pothole patch and repair by giving local authority highway engineers the tools they need to do the job so they don’t form in the first place.

“Early in the New Year, the Prime Minister promised to use “every tool” to make lives better for people living in Britain and investing in our local roads is one way to do just that, as improvements are immediately noticeable to taxpayers.

“We have long been calling for a different approach to Government funding to enable this, advocating both a longer-term funding horizon and more transparency to give local authority highway engineers the certainty of funding needed to carry out the right maintenance intervention at the right time for the greatest long term benefit.

“That’s why we welcomed the Transport Secretary’s Autumn Budget announcement that £7.3 billion has been allocated over the next four years to local highway maintenance. While it’s not a silver bullet that will eradicate the backlog of repairs, it is a positive first step and will support local highway engineers in their efforts to stem the long-term decline of our local roads.

“In addition, the DfT’s latest announcement enabling the mapping of Local Authority performance, aligns with our calls for more transparency on delivery alongside additional investment.”

* All figures quoted based on the findings of the Asphalt Industry Alliance’s Annual Local Authority Road maintenance (ALARM) surveys 2015-2025)