Government tells councils to prove they are fixing the potholes

Councils must prove they are doing more to fix the potholes and future-proof roads under tough new reporting requirements issued by the government today (Tuesday 9 June).

For the first time councils will need to demonstrate publicly how well they repair their roads and what they are doing to avoid repeat visits to the same stretch of asphalt – encouraging full road resurfacing, preventing potholes and an end to short term patch fixes.

Once these transparency reports are published in September, everyone in England will be able to see just how well their council is tackling the pothole plague and exactly how many of their roads are due for resurfacing.

Government has given local authorities a record £7.3bn in long-term road funding to turn the tide on the pothole plague.

The new guidance will be used to update the red/amber/green (RAG) ratings first published by the government earlier this year, showing what progress councils have made.

Those green rated local authorities were able to demonstrate they are following best practice such as investing in long-term pothole prevention and full road resurfacing rather than just patching up potholes.

If councils do not follow this new guidance, or fail to publish their reports on time, they will have almost a third of this year’s funding held back to ensure they are transparent with taxpayers.

Roads and Buses Minister Simon Lightwood said:

“For too long motorists have been left incensed by short-term work being prioritised over genuine long-term repairs. Thanks to our new guidance, that changes today.

“For the first time not only will councils need to show just how many potholes they are filling in, but what they are doing to avoid going back to fix the same pothole time and again – something which understandably infuriates drivers.

“This is backed by a record £7.3 billion investment to help councils deliver the long-term road repairs motorists deserve.”

With pothole related damage costing an average of £500, today’s action means safer, smoother drives and keeps that cash in your wallet.

This a cost is also felt by emergency services and organ donation charities, with some forced to shell out thousands of pounds every year to fix their life-saving vehicles.

Today’s announcement follows other tough government action to tackle potholes.  In April it was announced new measures will see up to a third of the £1.6 billion in highways funding (£524 million) for local authorities will be withdrawn unless they can prove they are meeting strict requirements.

Meanwhile a record £7.3 billion in long-term funding is now in place for local authorities get on with the job of fixing their roads which, alongside greater accountability through the new RAG ratings, is showing for the first time how effective local authorities are at spending this funding.

All red rated councils are receiving additional support from the government, including a total of £300,000 worth of expert help to help council raise their standards and fix more roads.

RAC Head of Policy Simon Williams said:

“Aside from potholes themselves, there’s nothing that annoys drivers more than ones that have been poorly repaired and become potholes again in a matter of weeks or months. Bad repairs are a waste of time and money, so it’s positive the Government is prioritising long-term fixes over short-term patching and dashing.

“Potholes need to be fixed promptly and permanently as they are a serious road safety danger to those on two wheels, along with causing expensive damage to vehicles. The poor state of Britain’s roads is drivers’ biggest gripe, so it’s good to see a new approach being taken. Fixing potholes once and carrying out preventative maintenance that stops them forming in the first place is a big step towards improving our roads for the future.”

The new guidance has been developed alongside local authorities and sector leaders, with input from bodies including the Local Councils Roads Innovation Group and the UK Roads Leadership Group Asset Management Board.

Kerry Winstantley, Managing Director at the Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG), said: “This guidance represents a significant step forward in how local road maintenance performance is measured and reported. Through extensive collaboration between government and local authorities , we have helped develop a clearer and more consistent approach that will make future red, amber, green (RAG) ratings more measurable, comparable, and meaningful across the country.

“That means road users, taxpayers and decision makers will have a clearer understanding of how local road networks are being managed and where improvements are being made. Better, more consistent data, will also help ensure investment and funding decisions are targeted where they can have the greatest impact, supporting long-term preventative maintenance planning and helping local authorities deliver more resilient road networks.”

Hannah Bartram, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT) said: ” ADEPT fully supports greater transparency and the focus on long-term, preventative maintenance – the new funding and reporting requirements are positive steps in the right direction.

“We’re particularly pleased to see the new guidance recognises the ADEPT Carbon Leadership Programme and ADEPT Live Labs 2 programme, embedding decarbonisation and innovation into how councils report on and improve their highways maintenance. We look forward to reviewing the new guidance in full.”