With the Government announcing £24bn in long-term funding for road maintenance, the RAC says local authorities must now “grasp this new opportunity” and make a “genuine difference” to the quality of their roads.
Announced during the spending review on 11 June, the Government will provide £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve motorways and local roads across the country.
It says this funding increase will allow National Highways and local authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England’s road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys.
The RAC has long-campaigned on this issue, and has described the news as “excellent”.
It has also laid down the challenge to local authorities, hailing the “golden opportunity” that now stands before them,
Simon Williams, RAC head of policy, said: “Giving councils the certainty of longer-term funding to fix their roads is something we’ve called for many years, so this is excellent news.
“Local authorities now have a golden opportunity to end the cycle of merely filling potholes and instead begin to be much more proactive in their maintenance. This must include both more surface dressing to keep decent roads in good condition and resurfacing those that are at the end of their lives.
“It’s incumbent on councils to grasp this new opportunity and show all road users how it’s making a genuine difference in the quality of the roads they use every day.”
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