Local authorities across England have been allocated a record-breaking £7.3 billion to tackle the nation's pothole crisis, the government has announced. The funding boost, confirmed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, more than doubles the annual roads maintenance budget and is intended to fix millions of potholes each year.
Transparency Conditions for Funding
This financial injection, however, comes with strict new conditions. The Chancellor is applying significant pressure on councils by increasing the portion of funding tied to transparency from 8% to over 30% of the total budget. This portion is worth more than £500 million.
Local authorities will only be able to access this substantial part of the funding if they publicly release clear and detailed data on potholes and road maintenance plans. They are also required to demonstrate that they are following industry best practices in their repair programmes.
A Legacy of Deteriorating Roads
The announcement follows a new analysis highlighting the decline in the condition of England's roads in recent years. The data reveals a concerning trend under the previous administration.
Between 2022 and 2024, the percentage of A roads in the top 'green' condition category fell from 72% to 68%. For B and C roads, the figure dropped from 66% to 63%. This deterioration equates to 2,500 miles of road – a distance comparable to the entire length of America's iconic Route 66 – falling out of the top condition bracket.
Government and Ministerial Reaction
Chancellor Rachel Reeves stated, "We promised to fix an extra million potholes a year by the end of this Parliament – we’re doing exactly that. We are doubling the funding promised by the previous government, making sure well maintained roads keep businesses moving, communities connected and growth reaching every part of the country."
Echoing the Chancellor's commitment, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said, "We’re delivering the biggest-ever investment in road maintenance to fix Britain’s broken roads. We’re putting our money where our mouth is, giving councils the long-term investment they need to plan properly and get things right first time... This isn’t patchwork politics, we are starting the hard work of fixing Britain's roads for good."
Each local council will now be responsible for using its share of the £7.3 billion to identify which local roads are most in need of urgent repair, with the goal of delivering immediate improvements for drivers and communities.
