Councils will receive £1.6 billion in funding to repair roads and fill potholes to start to reverse a decade of decline on our roads.

*Transport Secretary announces nearly £1.6 billion to fix potholes across England for next year and clamps down on disruptive street works

*funding goes well beyond manifesto pledge, helping councils fix the equivalent of 7 million extra potholes next year and saving drivers hundreds of pounds in repairs

*England's roads have been plagued by potholes for too long and the government is investing to boost infrastructure as part of its Plan for Change

With the drive home for Christmas about to begin, millions of people will benefit from safer roads thanks to a record £1.6 billion investment to fill potholes and repair roads, announced by the government today (20 December 2024).

In a Christmas boost for drivers, the landmark investment - an increase of nearly 50% on local road maintenance funding from last year - goes well beyond the government's manifesto pledge and is enough to fix the equivalent of over 7 million extra potholes in 2025 to 2026.

Across England, local highways authorities will receive a £500 million uplift in funding as the government looks to rebuild Britain, as part of its Plan for Change. Fixing our roads and filling potholes not only makes roads safer, but they also improve journey times and save drivers money from avoidable repairs.

It comes as figures from the RAC show drivers encounter an average of 6 potholes per mile in England and Wales and the cost of pothole damage to vehicles is around £500 on average, with more severe repairs costing considerably more. According to the AA, fixing potholes is a priority for 96% of drivers.

The public is also being encouraged to report potholes in their area to their local council.

The government is today announcing how much each local authority is being allocated. Each local authority can use its share of the £1.6 billion for 2025 to 2026 to identify which of their roads are in most need of repair and to deliver immediate fixes for communities and raise living standards across every area of the country. The allocations include:

*over £327 million for local authorities in north west, north east and Yorkshire and Humber

*over £372 million for local authorities in East Midlands and West Midlands

*over £244 million for local authorities in the East of England

*over £322 million for local authorities in the south east and London

*over £300 million for local authorities in the south west

To further protect motorists given continued cost-of-living pressures and potential fuel price volatility amid global uncertainty, the government has frozen fuel duty at current levels for another year to support hardworking families and businesses, saving the average car driver £59.

This government is delivering its Plan for Change with investment and reform to deliver growth, improve living standards by putting more money in people's pockets and rebuild Britain.

Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said:

Broken roads can risk lives and cost families hundreds if not thousands of pounds on repairs. That's a cost that can easily be avoided by investing properly in our roads.

Through our Plan for Change we're determined to put more money back into the pockets of hardworking people and improve living standards. That's why we're giving councils funding to repair our roads and get Britain moving again - with a clear expectation that they get on with the job.

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:

Potholes have plagued motorists for far too long, but today's record investment will start to reverse a decade of decline on our country's roads.

Millions will drive home for Christmas today, but too many will have to endure an obstacle course to reach their loved ones. Potholes damage cars and make pedestrians and cyclists less safe. We are investing £1.6 billion to fix up to 7 million more potholes next year.

This government is firmly on the side of drivers. Every area of England will get extra cash to tackle this problem once and for all. We have gone beyond our manifesto commitment to back motorists and help raise living standards in every part of the country.

The government is also making sure authorities spend the money wisely, collect the right data and deliver proactive maintenance before potholes start to form. The funding has built-in incentives, with 25% of this uplift held back until authorities have shown that they are delivering.

Today, the government is also announcing that at least 50% of surplus lane rental funds will be reinvested into highway maintenance, so that even more roads can be improved. Lane rental schemes allow local highway authorities to charge companies for the time that street and road works occupy the road.

Additionally, the department is also consulting on devolving powers to approve lane rental schemes, which are currently with the Secretary of State, to local mayors. This will support the delivery of more lane rental schemes and put power back into local hands.

On top of this funding, the Transport Secretary is announcing a clampdown on disruptive street works, doubling fixed penalty notices for utility companies who fail to comply with rules and extending charges for street works that run into the weekend.

RAC head of policy, Simon Williams, said:

This is the biggest one-off road maintenance funding settlement councils in England have ever been given, so we have high hopes it's the turning point that ends the degradation of our roads and finally delivers fit-for-purpose, smooth surfaces for drivers and all other road users.

What's particularly positive is that this announcement is not just about giving councils money to fix dangerous potholes, it comes with the important caveat of using the money wisely by carrying out preventative maintenance to stop more potholes appearing in the future. It's also good to see the government proactively encouraging drivers to report potholes, requiring councils to collect the right data to capture the true state of their road networks and incentivising authorities that use the money to good effect.

Edmund King, AA president, said:

Drivers and riders across England will be pleased to see this significant cash injection into smoothing out the local road network. With most journeys starting and ending on local roads, it is vital to restore the structural integrity of the streets we live on.

We urge councils to focus on permanent and innovative repairs rather than adopting a 'patch and run' approach. Better maintenance of the road network is the number one concern of drivers as damage costs a fortune and potholes can be fatal for those on two wheels.

Clamping down on poor works carried out by utility companies and overrunning roadworks is sorely needed, and we are pleased to see action being taken here. Widening lane rental approval to local mayors should reduce red tape and we hope it means more roads can be opened in first class condition.

Today's road funding announcement builds on the wider support we're giving to councils to deliver core services and serve their communities. £69 billion of funding will be injected into council budgets across England to help them drive forward the government's Plan for Change through investment and reform and to fix the foundations of local government.

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