The cost of repairing crumbling local roads in England and Wales has soared to a record £18.6 billion, according to a new report that brands the situation a 'national disgrace'. The Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) found that only 51 per cent of the local road network is currently in good condition, with roads being resurfaced on average once every 97 years.
Despite increased investment, efforts to tackle the pervasive issue of potholes have failed to deliver 'noticeable improvements', the report suggests. Last year alone, 1.9 million potholes were filled across the country. David Giles, chair of the AIA, lamented that any significant improvements 'lie a long way off', stating: 'I think all road users would agree that the condition of our local roads has become a national disgrace.'
Government funding for local road maintenance in England is set to reach nearly £1.6 billion in the 2025/26 financial year, a £500 million increase from the previous 12 months. A total of £7.3 billion has been allocated for the four years leading up to 2029/30. While Mr Giles acknowledged that local authority highway engineers are 'cautiously optimistic' that the increased funding could stem further decline, he cautioned that it is 'not the silver bullet' to clear the backlog of repairs anytime soon.
He suggested that 'the dial could be moved quicker' if the additional funding was front-loaded rather than 'ramping up in the years to 2030'. The AIA's annual Alarm report estimates that bringing roads up to an ideal standard would take 12 years to complete. Highway maintenance budgets for 2025/26 have increased by 17 per cent to an average of £30.5 million per authority, with 54 per cent allocated to road surfaces and structures.
AA president Edmund King warned that 'much more needs to be done to eradicate this plague of potholes', adding that record wet weather linked to substandard roads has turned many local roads into 'patchwork obstacle courses'. Tom Hunt, who chairs the Local Government Association's inclusive growth committee, welcomed the funding increase as 'positive' but stressed that 'more action is needed' for councils to bring roads up to scratch.
Colin Brown of the Motorcycle Action Group highlighted government figures indicating that poor road surfaces contribute to twice the proportion of killed or seriously injured motorcyclists compared with car occupants and cyclists. He remarked: 'Riders aren’t complaining about cracked roads because of the damage to their tyres – it’s the added risk of dying on them.' A Department for Transport spokesperson acknowledged that the report 'rightly highlights the need to improve our roads' and affirmed that the government has increased funding to help councils 'fix the pothole plague', noting a 15 per cent increase in pothole-prevention works in 2025 compared to 2024.
