The government has announced tough new measures to tackle Britain's 'pothole plague', demanding local authorities demonstrate progress on road repairs or face financial penalties.
From mid-April, councils across England will begin receiving their share of a record £1.6 billion highway maintenance funding package. This includes an extra £500 million which the government claims is sufficient to fill approximately 7 million potholes annually.
Starting 24 March, all local authorities must publish annual progress reports detailing their road repair work. Councils that fail to meet these requirements by 30 June risk losing 25% of the additional funding—equivalent to £125 million in total.
The initiative comes in response to concerning RAC figures showing drivers encounter an average of six potholes per mile on roads in England and Wales. According to the AA, repairing pothole damage costs motorists an average of £600 per incident, with 96% of drivers citing pothole repairs as a priority.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "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 £4.8 billion to deliver vital road schemes and maintain major roads across the country to get Britain moving, next month we start handing councils a record £1.6 billion to repair roads and fill millions of potholes across the country."
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander added: "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 £500 million funding boost."
The mandatory council reports must detail expenditure on road maintenance, the number of potholes filled, the condition of local roads by percentage, and strategies for minimising disruption from streetworks.
Alongside local road maintenance, the government has announced £4.8 billion for National Highways to maintain motorways and major A-roads during 2025-2026, with a focus on critical infrastructure projects across the country.