Potholes leaving Staffordshire and Cheshire's roads at "breaking point"
The rate of pothole repairs on roads has reached an eight-year high
Last updated 15th Apr 2024
A new report from the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) has found local roads are at "breaking point" with the rate of repairs across England and Wales reaching an eight-year high.
The annual Alarm survey found that local authorities expect to fix two million potholes in the current financial year.
That is up 43% compared with 1.4 million during the previous 12 months, and is the highest annual total since 2015/16 when 2.2 million potholes were filled in.
In Staffordshire, last year saw a record 16,000 pothole jobs completed by highways crews up and down the county, with a job usually consisting of two or three potholes.
The AIA report said: “This indicates that local authorities, who have a statutory responsibility to keep local roads safe, don’t have the funds to do so in a cost-effective, proactive way, which would allow them to carry out the appropriate maintenance interventions at the right time.”
What did the report find?
Just 47% of local road miles were rated as being in a good condition, with 36% adequate and 17% poor.
The survey found that average highway maintenance budgets increased by 2.3% in the 2023/24 financial year compared with the previous 12 months.
But the impact of rising costs due to inflation meant local authorities “effectively experienced a real-terms cut”, the report warned.
Meanwhile, the amount needed to fix the backlog of local road repairs has reached a record £16.3 billion, up 16% from £14.0 billion a year ago.
AIA chairman Rick Green said: “Local authorities have a bit more money to spend this year but the impact of rising costs due to inflation means they have actually been able to do less with it.
“Couple this with the effects of the extreme weather we are increasingly facing, and the result is that the rate at which local roads are suffering is accelerating towards breaking point.”
What is the reaction to the report?
Mr Green said: “There’s still a mountain to climb when it comes to fixing our local roads.
“While it’s great that English local authorities should be getting more money from the Government through its Network North funding, it’s clearly not going to be enough to halt the decline.”
Local Government Association transport spokesman Darren Rodwell said: “This report reveals in stark terms the huge challenge facing councils in maintaining the local roads network, which nearly everyone relies on.
“The backlog of repairs now stands at almost double the extra amount that Government has promised over the next 11 years.”
AA president Edmund King said: “Our breakdown data shows that 2023 was the worst year for potholes for five years.
“Arguably the road network is a local council’s biggest asset, but not enough planned investment and repairs are being made to make streets safer and smoother for drivers and those on two wheels.”
Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards at charity IAM RoadSmart, said: “The AIA’s report lays bare the crumbling state of our road network as well as the effort and money now required to fix it.
“Notwithstanding the financial headache pothole-related damage does to the vehicle’s owner, our crater-laden roads are posing a serious road safety hazard.”
What is being done to fix the issues?
In October 2023, the Government announced it would provide £8.3 billion of extra funding over 11 years to fix potholes in England.
This was part of the Network North strategy to use money saved by scrapping the planned extension of HS2 north of Birmingham.
At Cheshire East Council, the government has allocated a total of £110 million up to and including 2033-34 for major road resurfacing, including pothole repairs. Staffordshire has been allocated £186 million and Stoke-on-Trent £22 million.
Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, David Williams, said: "Recently, the county council announced it will carry out an additional £50 million worth of repairs and essential maintenance of the 6,000 kilometres of roads across Staffordshire on top of any government grant.
"This includes more road resurfacing schemes and getting potholes repaired quickly."
The Department for Transport has been approached for a comment.