97% of England’s council-run road network unmaintained
Just three per cent of England’s council-run road network received any maintenance in the 2023/24 financial year, according to new government data analysed by the RAC.
Of the 183,054-mile network, just 4,894 miles were strengthened, resurfaced or preserved.
While this represents an 18% increase on the previous year, it was 35% down on the total number of miles repaired in 2017/18 (7,510 miles).
The data found that just five per cent of A roads were treated and just two per cent of minor roads.
Meanwhile, 76 of the 152 councils did no work at all to strengthen roads and prevent potholes from forming.
Vicious cycle
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “It’s good to see an increase in the amount of road maintenance being carried out by councils from the previous financial year, but that’s hardly great progress given the 2022/23 figure was a five-year low. And it remains the case that still only a slither of England’s total road network is getting any maintenance attention whatsoever. This reinforces our belief that most councils are in a cycle of merely filling potholes, rather than looking after their roads properly.
“The bigger picture is far more concerning because it still shows a significant decline in the proportion of our roads strengthened, resurfaced or preserved compared to six years ago.
“As the government has just given councils a record amount of funding to look after their roads, we hope to see a significant improvement in the quality of road surfaces due to the extra maintenance they will be able to carry out in the next 12 months.”
Permanent solution
He continued: “We encourage local authorities to focus on permanent solutions rather than trying to patch pothole-ridden roads that are beyond saving. This might include resurfacing or alternatives such as recycling existing materials in-situ. Surface dressing roads in better condition is also important as it ensures they stay that way for longer.
“The longer important preservation work, such as surface dressing, is neglected, the more the pothole problem prevails. With a third of councils failing to carry out any such work, it’s no surprise that RAC pothole-related breakdowns jumped by a fifth in the final three months of 2024. We strongly hope the next set of figures will show we’ve finally turned a corner towards smoother, safer, better roads.”
