In a widely welcomed announcement, the Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed that English highways authorities will be allocated funds of £1.6 billion to allow for roads to be fixed and potholes filled. 

The Labour Government said that this financial boost amounted to a nearly 50% rise in local road maintenance funding compared to the previous year, when the Conservatives were in power. Ministers stated that this would suffice to fix the equivalent of more than seven million additional potholes during the 2025 to 2026 period. 

The statistics tell their own story about how urgently such funding is required. The UK Government cited figures from the AA indicating that 96% of drivers consider the fixing of potholes to be a priority. According to the RAC, meanwhile, drivers encounter an average of six potholes per mile in England and Wales. 

How is the money for road and pothole repair being allocated? 

In its announcement of the financial injection, the DfT said that each local authority would be able to use its share of the £1.6 billion to decide which of its roads most need to be fixed. 

The confirmed allocations are as follows: 

  • More than £327 million for local authorities in the North West, North East, and Yorkshire and Humber regions 
  • Over £372 million for the East Midlands and West Midlands’ local authorities 
  • Over £244 million for local authorities in the East of England 
  • In excess of £322 million for London and South East England local authorities 
  • More than £300 million for local authorities in the South West of England

Furthermore, the Government has said it wishes to ensure the recipients of funding utilise it responsibly, alongside gathering accurate data and carrying out preventative maintenance to combat issues prior to potholes forming. 

To this end, ministers have stated that they will withhold a portion (25%) of the increase in highways maintenance funding from the local authorities until they provide evidence that they are fulfilling their commitments. The intention is that this will give the authorities an incentive to use their initial cash boost wisely. 

Hopes that the financial uplift will help “reverse a decade of decline” 

The Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, commented that the “record investment will start to reverse a decade of decline on our country’s roads… we have gone beyond our manifesto commitment to back motorists and help raise living standards in every part of the country.”

Among those responding positively to the announcement was Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, who voiced the company’s “high hopes it’s the turning point that ends the degradation of our roads and finally delivers fit-for-purpose, smooth surfaces for drivers and all other road users.”

The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) also had an upbeat take on the news. The charity said it had previously drawn attention to the need for heightened local highway maintenance funding, adding it was “pleased to see that these calls are starting to be echoed in this announcement from the Government.” 

Our own transport consultants at Transport Planning Associates (TPA) very much share this sentiment. To find out more about the guidance and expertise that our professionals can lend to your upcoming projects, please reach out to your nearest TPA office, so that we can give you the benefit of the optimal transport planning and infrastructure advice.