The findings of the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA)’s most recent independent survey of English and Welsh local authority highway departments have now been published – and the verdict, in the words of the partnership itself, is “continued misery for local road users”.
The AIA commissions this survey on an annual basis, with this year being the 30th consecutive edition. The principle behind the research is to gain in-depth insights into the funding and conditions of the local road network, based on information provided by the entities responsible for maintaining it.
This year’s iteration of the survey saw the receipt of submissions from nearly 80% of local authorities in England and Wales. This, the AIA stated, provided “robust findings which are used by stakeholders across the sector for tracking, benchmarking, and planning purposes.”
What were some of the key discoveries made by the latest survey?
The study in question – officially called the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey – found that the backlog of carriageway repairs in England and Wales had now reached nearly £17 billion. The AIA said this was the highest figure seen in three decades of reporting.
The partnership observed that roads are only resurfaced an average of once every 93 years, and one in six miles is believed to only have five years of structural life remaining. Less than half (48%) of the local road network is reported to be in good structural condition, with the other 52% thought to have left than 15 years’ structural life remaining.
The latest complete ALARM survey report can be downloaded from the AIA website. The document also draws attention to the highly concerning funding situation for local roads.
As of 2024/25, highway maintenance budgets saw a real-terms cut of 4.1% in England and Wales. Moreover, local authorities across the two nations reported that, on average, they would have needed an extra £7.4 million each year to maintain their network to their own targets.
Calls for a “complete change in mindset”, placing the emphasis on longer-term funding
The AIA has said that, in light of the aforementioned findings, it is urging a “complete change in mindset away from short-term funding to longer-term commitments to allow local authorities to proactively improve the network.”
David Giles, Chair at the AIA, said: “Local authorities need a minimum five-year funding horizon and there needs to be a substantial, sustained increase in investment with budgets ringfenced specifically for load roads maintenance.”
Agreement with the alliance’s stance was forthcoming from the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT). The professional body said it had “long called for longer-term funding for the local highways sector and welcomes this report as a contribution to the evidence base for that.”
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