Every council in England must publish how many potholes they’ve filled or lose road cash, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced, on the same day as Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander revealed £4.8bn of roads funding for 2025/6.
Government funding of £1.6bn to tackle potholes will be delivered to councils from next month, the Prime Minister announced today (24 March) but he warned councils that they must prove they’re using the funding effectively to get the full amount.
Under the scheme, all councils in England must publish reports on their websites by 30 June 2025, detailing how much they are spending, how many potholes they have filled, details of the condition of their roads, and how they are minimising streetworks disruption.
They will also be required to show how they are spending more on long-term preventative maintenance programmes and that they have robust plans for the wetter winters the country is experiencing, due to climate change, which is making potholes worse.
Local authorities who fail to meet these strict conditions will see 25% of the uplift, amounting to £125m in total, withheld.
By the end of October, councils must also show they are ensuring communities have their say on what work they should be doing, and where.
The public can also report potholes to their local council, via a dedicated online portal.
The announcement comes as RAC research shows drivers encounter an average of six potholes per mile in England and Wales, with pothole damage to cars costing an average £600 to fix. According to the AA, fixing potholes is a priority for 96% of drivers.
In a further government announcement, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander today unveiled £4.8bn of roads funding for 2025/6.
The £4.8bn includes £1.3bn to keep the strategic network in good repair, £1.8bn for National Highways’ daily operations, and £1.3bn for essential improvement schemes to unlock growth and housing, such as the A428 Black Cat scheme in Cambridgeshire, improvements to the A47 around Norwich and the M3 J9 scheme in Hampshire..
Announcing the funding, Starmer said: “The broken roads we inherited are not only risking lives but also cost working families, drivers and businesses hundreds - if not thousands of pounds – in avoidable vehicle repairs.
“Fixing the basic infrastructure this country relies on is central to delivering national renewal, improving living standards and securing Britain’s future through our Plan for Change.
“Not only are we investing an additional £4.8bn to deliver vital road schemes and maintain major roads across the country to get Britain moving, next month we start handing councils a record £1.6bn to repair roads and fill millions of potholes across the country.
“British people are bored of seeing their politicians aimlessly pointing at potholes with no real plan to fix them. That ends with us.
“We’ve done our part by handing councils the cash and certainty they need it - now it’s up to them to get on with the job, put that money to use and prove they’re delivering for their communities.”
Alexander added: “After years of neglect we’re tackling the pothole plague, building vital roads and ensuring every penny is delivering results for the taxpayer.
“The public deserves to know how their councils are improving their local roads, which is why they will have to show progress or risk losing 25% of their £500m funding boost.
“Our Plan for Change is reversing a decade of decline and mending our pothole-ridden roads which damage cars and make pedestrians and cyclists less safe.”
Edmund King, AA president and member of the Pothole Partnership, said: “Getting councils to show value for money before getting full funding is a big step in the right direction, as it will encourage a more concerted attack on the plague of potholes.
“At the same time, local authorities can share best practice, so others can learn what new innovations and planned maintenance techniques have worked for them.”
Responding, Logistics UK’s head of head of infrastructure and planning policy Jonathan Walker said: “Logistics businesses have been hampered by the delays and costs of vehicle damage caused by the UK’s crumbling roads network for some time, so news that this funding is to be released for local authorities will be welcomed by our members, whose work keeps the economy supplied with all that businesses, homes, hospitals and schools need. It is vital that local authorities now take urgent action to activate long-term planned improvement works to ensure we can keep Britain’s economy moving.”
