Drivers will see their councils named and shamed if they carry out short-term repairs of potholes that mean streets are having to be repeatedly closed for maintenance. New government rules will require councils to reveal exactly how well they repair their roads, with a third of their highways maintenance funding at risk if they fail to be transparent.
If councils are failing to properly implement long-term pothole fixes, their rating could be downgraded in this year’s road condition council ratings. Officials hope the new system will encourage councils to carry out full road resurfacing, preventing potholes and an end to short-term patch fixes.
Drivers will be able to see how well their council is tackling the so-called “pothole plague” in transparency reports to be published in September across England. The new guidance will be used to update the red/amber/green (RAG) ratings first published by the government earlier this year.
Green ratings were given to local authorities investing in long-term pothole prevention and full road resurfacing rather than just patching up potholes. All red rated councils are receiving additional support from the government, including some £300,000-worth of expert help to support councils in improving standards.
Roads and Buses Minister Simon Lightwood said: “For too long motorists have been left incensed by short-term work being prioritised over genuine long-term repairs. Thanks to our new guidance, that changes today.” The Government has given local authorities a record £7.3bn in long-term road funding to fix potholes.
