Road maintenance plunges to lowest point in five years

Richard Aucock, Contributor
Wed, 20 Mar 2024

Council road maintenance in England has plunged 45% in five years, with almost 3400 fewer miles of road receiving any kind of improvement work.

RAC analysis of official government statistics shows that just 764 miles of A roads were strengthened, resurfaced or preserved in 2022/23. That’s down from 1222 miles in 2017/18.

For minor B, C and unclassified roads, council maintenance fell even further – there was a 46% drop from 6288 miles to 3380 miles.

That’s almost 3000 fewer miles of road maintenance.

What’s more, the RAC found that just 4% of the 17,853 miles of A roads maintained by councils were resurfaced or given life-extending preservation treatment.

Of the 158 roads authorities in England, 35% failed to carry out any road resurfacing, while 61% did no road preservation work.

The average length of roads resurfaced for all authorities was a mere 17 miles.

"These figures lay bare just how little resurfacing and life-extending preservation work councils have managed to carry out in the last financial year," says RAC spokesperson Simon Williams.

"We suspect this means road maintenance in England has reached a new low point."

Williams says it is concerning to see that so few miles of A roads received any form of road maintenance last year, when these important routes are used by millions of drivers every day.

"Meanwhile, our minor roads that are essential in connecting rural areas have received barely a crumb of the pie."

This is all leading to the endless growth of potholes across England, which is why the RAC is now calling for authorities to take a ‘traffic light’ approach to road maintenance.

It says roads in ‘green’ and ‘amber’ conditions should undergo preventative maintenance by filling potholes and carrying out the most appropriate surface dressing treatment between April and September. This will seal the roads and prevent cracking in cold winter months.

Roads in ‘red’ condition need to be fully resurfaced or strengthened, as no amount of preventative treatment will stop them from falling apart.

“The longer this is left unaddressed, the bigger the eventual bill for councils,” says Williams.

Ask HJ

How do I claim for pothole damage?

I have been informed I may be able to claim for pothole damage to my tyres and alloy wheel caused by public roads. First incident was a damaged tyre which needed replacing. Second incident was damaged tyre and the alloy has a buckled side - both will need replacing. I have RAC reports stating pothole damage (one states it is pothole damage to tyre, and the most recent second incident, the RAC mechanic wrote he suspected it was pothole damage to tyre and alloy). After both incidents, I took photos of the potholes, which are large and fairly deep, and I have retained both tyres too. 1. Do I have basis to claim - if so from who and how? 2. Is there a window of time to submit a claim? 3. What information do I need for a claim? 4. How do I find out who has responsibility for the road the damage occurred on?

The body responsible for road maintenance, and therefore who you need to complain to, depends on the type of road. Motorways and major trunk roads (A-roads) are the responsibility of Highways England - you need to contact them via info@highwaysengland.co.uk in order to make a complaint. Local roads, including smaller A-roads and B-roads are the responsibility of the local council - you can use this link https://www.gov.uk/report-pothole to determine the relevant body and this will guide you through the claims process. If the pothole caused the damage to your car, you have the written reports from the RAC and photographic evidence, then you have a right to complain if you choose to do so.

Answered by David Ross

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