Local authorities to benefit from £8.3 billion to repair roads

The Government has announced what it describes as the biggest-ever road resurfacing programme to improve local roads.

Under the plan, local highway authorities will receive £8.3 billion over the next 11 years – enough to resurface more than 5,000 miles of road across the country, it is estimated.

Across England, authorities will receive £150 million this financial year, followed by a further £150 million for 2024/2025, with the rest of the funding allocated through to 2034.

Each local authority can use its share of the £8.3 billion to identify what local roads are in most need of repair and deliver immediate improvements for communities and residents. This is divided as:

• £3.3 billion for local authorities in the North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber
• £2.2 billion for local authorities in the West Midlands and East Midlands
• £2.8 billion for local authorities in the East of England, South East, South West and, for the first time in 8 years, London

The funding is in addition to the £5.5 billion already confirmed up until 2024/25

Rishi Sunak, prime minister, said: “For too long politicians have shied away from taking the right long-term decisions to make life easier for hardworking families – tackling the scourge of potholes being a prime example.

“Well-maintained road surfaces could save drivers up to £440 each in expensive vehicle repairs, helping motorists keep more of the cash in their pocket.

“This unprecedented £8.3 billion investment will pave the road for better and safer journeys for millions of people across the country and put an end to the blight of nuisance potholes.”

The funding has been welcomed by the RAC.

Simon Williams, RAC head of policy, said: “Drivers’ biggest bugbear of all is the poor condition of local roads, so the fact the government has found a significant additional pot of revenue should give councils the certainty of funding they need to plan proper long-term road maintenance, something we have been calling for many years.

“We hope local authorities will use the money in the most effective way possible by resurfacing the very worst roads, keeping those in reasonable condition in better states for longer through surface dressing and filling potholes as permanently as possible wherever necessary.”

To increase transparency and ensure the £8.3 billion leads to an increase in the number of roads being resurfaced, local authorities will be required to publish information on their websites on a regular basis explaining how they are spending the funding in their area.

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