No end to pothole hell
MPs warn roads are getting worse – but town halls don’t have cash to fix them
CASH-STRAppED councils are failing to tackle the ‘plague of potholes’, Mps have warned. A damning report has highlighted the ‘extreme state of disrepair’ of the road network in towns and villages across Britain.
But councils claim that almost £10billion is needed to fix the huge backlog of repairs – and even if they had the cash it would take a decade to complete the work.
In their report Mps said that town halls faced with swingeing budget cuts from central government are resorting to a ‘make do and mend approach’.
Rather than resurfacing stretches of crumbling tarmac at greater expense, potholes are filled in on the cheap – often quickly opening up again.
The transport committee report criticised this approach, arguing that the ‘deteriorating local road network’ undermines the local economy and ultimately leads to spiralling costs to taxpayers – often due to the rising bill for major work which is put off. It also warned potholes are damaging vehicles and posing a danger to drivers, passengers and cyclists.
It added that pedestrians, the elderly and vulnerable ‘can be left feeling anxious and isolated, afraid to leave their own homes’.
Funding for local government has fallen by around a quarter since 2010.
As money for local roads is not ring-fenced, the report said local authorities are having to ‘rob peter to pay paul’ – diverting money from roads to plug other gaps such as social care. Mps said the provision of an upfront fiveyear funding settlement by the Government is the only way local authorities will be able to sort out the crumbling road network. Labour Mp Lilian Greenwood, who leads the committee, said: ‘Local roads are the arteries of our villages, towns and cities, but most people won’t have to go further than the local shops to spot a pothole that poses a risk of injury or damage.
‘Almost every journey begins and ends on local roads. The Department for Transport must work with the public and local authorities to make them safe.’
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, backed calls for more central government funding for local councils. He said: ‘Local councils have seen their budgets stretched and cut back for several years, and despite a good effort last year, ultimately they are losing the battle on potholes.
‘While potholes can be a very costly inconvenience for drivers, they can be tragically fatal for cyclists and motorcyclists.’
DfT figures show 71 cyclists were killed or seriously injured in accidents linked to poorly maintained roads in 2016 – up from 22 in 2006.
A government spokesman said: ‘We know potholes are a nuisance and a hazard for all road users, particularly for cyclists and motorcyclists. We are providing councils with £6.6billion between 2015 and 2020, which includes more than £700million for extra maintenance.
‘We are also investing in trials on new road materials and repair techniques as well as technologies to help councils predict when roads will need repairs.’
‘Risk of injury or damage’