Government tells local authorities to publish pothole-filling stats
Councils across the South West are being directed to do so by the Government, or risk losing funding
Last updated 24th Mar 2025
Councils across the South West are being told by the Government to 'prove action' on the plague of potholes - or risk missing out in millions of pounds of extra funding.
The Prime Minister is telling councils to put the cash to use, and those local authorities who comply with this request will receive the full share of the roads pot, which is set to be allocated to them.
From mid-April, councils here in the South West will start to receive their share of the Government’s record £1.6bn highway maintenance funding, including an extra £85m for our part of the world.
But to get the full amount, all councils in England must from today (Monday, 24 March) publish annual progress reports and prove public confidence in their work.
Local authorities who fail to meet these strict conditions will see 25% of their pothole funding (which is £21m for the South West) withheld.
Also today, the Transport Secretary has unveiled £4.8bn funding for 2025/26 for National Highways to deliver critical road schemes and maintain motorways and major A-roads.
This cash will mean getting on with pivotal schemes, such as the A417 Air Balloon roundabout in Gloucestershire, helping boost economic growth by making journeys more reliable and improving connectivity for business and freight.
It comes as figures from the RAC show drivers encounter an average of 6 potholes per mile in England and Wales, and pothole damage to cars costs an average £600 to fix. According to the AA, fixing potholes is a priority for 96% of drivers.
This government is delivering its Plan for Change to rebuild Britain and deliver national renewal by through investment in our vital infrastructure which will drive growth and put more money in working people’s pockets by saving them costs on repairs.
'Risking lives' and 'costing families'
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The broken roads we inherited are not only risking lives but also cost working families, drivers and businesses hundreds - if not thousands of pounds – in avoidable vehicle repairs. Fixing the basic infrastructure this country relies on is central to delivering national renewal, improving living standards and securing Britain’s future through our Plan for Change.
“Not only are we investing an additional £4.8 billion to deliver vital road schemes across the country to get Britain moving, next month we start handing councils a record £1.6 billion to repair roads and fill millions of potholes across the country.
“British people are bored of seeing their politicians aimlessly pointing at potholes with no real plan to fix them. That ends with us. We’ve done our part and handed councils the cash and certainty they need - now it’s up to them to get on with the job, put that money to use and prove they’re delivering for their communities.”
The 'plague of potholes'
The Transport Secretary, and Swindon South MP Heidi Alexander, said: “After years of neglect, we’re unblocking the South West’s roads - fixing the plague of potholes, building vital roads and ensuring every penny is delivering results for the taxpayer.
“The public deserves to know how their councils are improving their local roads, which is why they will have to show progress or risk losing 25 per cent of their £500m funding boost.
“Our Plan for Change is reversing a decade of decline and mending our pothole-ridden roads which damage cars and make pedestrians and cyclists less safe.”
To ensure councils in the South West are taking action, they must now publish reports on their websites by 30 June 2025, detailing how much they are spending, how many potholes they have filled, what percentage of their roads are in what condition, and how they are minimising streetworks disruption.
'The Government must empower our local councillors'
The Liberal Democrats said there is a huge challenge to fix the country's roads and tackle the repair backlog.
"We must ensure that the right amount of money is going where it is needed. The Government must empower our local councillors who are best placed to make decisions about what needs fixing in their communities," the party's transport spokesperson Paul Kohler said.
"We also need to see more ambition towards a more sustainable approach to fixing our decaying road network through a road resurfacing programme - fixing individual potholes, although welcome, does little more than apply a plaster to the gaping wound of our crumbling road infrastructure."
'Steering Britain into a ditch'
The Conservatives said Labour is "steering Britain into a ditch" and want credit for "handing councils a pothole sticking plaster".
"Labour like to talk a big game on fixing roads but they are more interested in chasing headlines than laying tarmac," Gareth Bacon, shadow transport secretary, said.
"Meanwhile, it is Conservative councils that are actually getting on with the job. Last year, Conservative-run councils repaired five times more road miles on average than Labour-run councils.
"Labour are running on empty. They've got no plan for motorists, no grip on the problem, and no credibility. Voters shouldn't be fooled - Labour aren't fixing the roads, they're steering Britain into a ditch."