Councils in England risk losing up to a third of their funding to fix potholes if they fail to prove they are spending the cash effectively, under new government rules.
Under the new measures, local highway authorities which fail to demonstrate they are maintaining roads effectively could lose around a third of their £1.6bn funding for the next year.
Pothole damage already costs the average driver around £500 in avoidable repairs at a time when every pound in people’s pockets matters, and the Government says that it is determined to ease that financial burden by ensuring councils fix roads properly.
Roads and Buses Minister, Simon Lightwood, said:
“Drivers deserve smooth, safe journeys, and we’re making sure every pound goes straight into fixing roads and tackling potholes, not being spent elsewhere.
“Potholes aren’t just an inconvenience – they cost drivers hundreds, if not more every time they cause damage to a vehicle. Fixing our roads is one of the most impactful things we can do to reduce the cost of owning and driving a car, and we’re making sure every pound goes straight into doing exactly that.
“We’ve made it crystal clear, that councils which fail to maintain their roads will now risk losing up to a third of their funding.
“And for the first time, we’re giving councils multi-year funding so they can plan properly and reverse a decade of decline in our roads.”
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “These measures should go a long way to addressing the poor condition of local roads which we know from research for the RAC Report on Motoring is drivers’ number-one concern.
“Ensuring money that is given to councils to improve their roads is actually spent on roads is critical, so the Government’s focus on this will be welcomed by drivers. And, while fixing dangerous potholes is vital, it’s also very positive to see councils being encouraged to carry out preventative maintenance work which will stop potholes forming in the future.
“Having the certainty of funding over the next five years for councils to plan proper maintenance programmes should result in better quality roads for all.”
