A report into the condition of the UK’s roads has concluded that there is no quick fix to the pothole problem despite a reported increase in funding.
The Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey report states that the backlog of repairs across England and Wales has reached a record £18.6 billion, despite councils filling in around 1.9 million holes last year.
In London, the issue appears even more stark, with the cost related to the backlog increasing to £1.22 billion despite investment in highways maintenance and an allocation from the Department for Transport (DfT).
A fifth of London’s roads, equivalent to over 1,900 miles, are reported to have less than five years' structural life remaining.
The report, published by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), suggests that the “national disgrace” has been exacerbated by a notably wet winter, with rain entering cracks in road surfaces before freezing when temperatures drop, expanding and creating bigger cracks.
Despite the government allocating £1.6 billion last year to help local authorities fix their roads, the estimated cost of a one-off repair of all potholes has risen by £1.8 billion since 2025,
Dr Ian Lancaster, director of the AIA, said: "I only need to step out of the door, get into my car, and then I'm met with potholes everywhere. It's frightening, and it's affecting the way that people drive. I see people swerving to avoid potholes. I see them slowing down.
"We see people getting injured. We see damage to vehicles. We have to recognise that the local road network is absolutely critical for mobility.
"Every journey starts on a local road. If we allow this to carry on, people are not going to be able to get out to hospital appointments, doctor's appointments, down to the supermarket.”
The UK government withdrew annual funding to TfL in 2018, and London boroughs have not received any funding support for the maintenance of principal routes since then, nor do they receive any funding for highway maintenance from the Ulez scheme.
David Giles, the chair of the AIA, said: “I think all road users would agree that the condition of our local roads has become a national disgrace.”
The AA president, Edmund King, said: “We have been seeing with our own eyes, and feeling with our wheels, how record wet weather linked to substandard roads has led to many local roads becoming patchwork obstacle courses.”
The ALARM survey report found that an extra £9.7 million per borough was needed last year to maintain their network to their own target conditions and prevent further decline.
It also reported that more than half of local roads in London have less than 15 years' structural life remaining, and that 82,226 potholes were filled over the last year at a cost of £6.5 million.
A DfT spokesperson said the report “rightly highlights the need to improve our roads. That’s why, after years of underinvestment, we’re providing a record £7.3 billion in long-term funding, to help councils resurface roads and fix the pothole plague.”
They added: “We will hold councils to account, ensuring they use this money to plan ahead and deliver safer, smoother journeys.”
