Comment in response to Government announcement to cut road projects to fund defence

“It is disappointing that capital funding for new road projects looks set to be cut, but it is vital that the Government honours the pledge made today to protect funding for local authorities to carry out much needed road maintenance and pothole repairs.

“We understand that in an increasingly challenging world tough public funding decisions must be made. However, local roads in England and Wales are already in a woeful condition and face a backlog of repairs that now stands at a whopping £18.62 billion^[1].

“All services depend on our local roads. That’s why the Government must ensure that its £7.3 billion commitment to 2030 to support repairs and prevent further decline is fully delivered and is not diverted elsewhere.”

[1] Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey report 2026