Councils given record funding to fix potholes

Millions of drivers will enjoy smoother, safer road journeys with a mega boost enough to fill millions of potholes each year, after the Chancellor doubled annual roads cash

A potholes bonanza has been announced for England with a record £7.3 billion local roads boost.

Millions of drivers will enjoy smoother, safer road journeys with a mega boost enough to fill millions of potholes each yearafter the Chancellor doubled annual roads cash at the Budget.

Each local authority will be able to use its share of the £7.3 billion to identify the roads most in need of repair and deliver immediate improvements for communities and residents.

Ms Reeves is also piling the pressure on local authorities by more than tripling the share of local roads funding that is tied to transparency – from 8% to over 30% of the budget, worth more than £500 million.

Councils can only unlock the funding if they publish clear pothole and maintenance data and follow best practice.

Rachel Reeves said: “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.”

It comes as new analysis revealed the damage done to England’s roads by the Tories.

Figures show 2,500 miles of road – the equivalent of the entire Route 66 from the Midwest of America to the Pacific Coast – fell out of the top category for road condition in the Tories’ last two years.

Between 2022 and 2024, the percentage of A roads with a ‘green’ road condition fell from 72% to 68% and the percentage of B and C roads in top condition fell from 66% to 63%.

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, saving you money on costly repairs and making a visible difference in our communities.

“This isn’t patchwork politics, we are starting the hard work of fixing Britain’s roads for good.”