Comment in response to DfT announcement re new pothole funding rules

“Local authority highway engineers need sustained investment in highway maintenance, supported by a long-term funding horizon and greater transparency. This would allow them to carry out the most appropriate maintenance intervention at the right time.

“That’s why we welcomed the Government’s commitment to increase funding to 2030, and we support its new measures to ensure it is spent on our local roads and not diverted elsewhere.

“However, with this year’s Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey report highlighting that the backlog of repairs now stands at £18.62bn, it is not the silver bullet that will allow local highway engineers to fully deliver the necessary resurfacing and proactive programmes that will prevent potholes forming in the first place.”