In this year’s Spring Budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has pledged to increase the fund available to deal with the “curse of potholes” each year to £700m.
This is a boost of £200 million.
It comes as the Chancellor set out his plans amid a soaring cost-of-living crisis.
Here’s what you need to know about the pothole fund.
What is the potholes fund?
Delivering his Budget speech, Mr Hunt said the “wet then cold winter” resulted in him receiving “strong representations” from MPs and councillors about “the curse of potholes”.
The Potholes Fund will give councils across England additional funding to help tackle potholes.
This funding will help to lower vehicle-maintenance costs for workers, families, and businesses, and will safeguard the country’s road network for the future.
The cost of bringing pothole-plagued local roads in England and Wales up to scratch has been estimated at £12.6 billion
How much funding is being given?
The Potholes Fund previously provided £500 million a year to councils, but will now be increased to £700 million in the 2023/2024 financial year.
The cost of bringing pothole-plagued local roads in England and Wales up to scratch has been estimated at £12.6 billion.
Recent analysis by the Local Government Association showed Government funding for maintaining England’s motorways and major A roads was 31 times higher per mile than for repairing local roads last year.
What causes potholes?
Potholes are often formed when water that has entered cracks in the road surface freezes and expands.
They can occur through a combination of weather, and wear and tear.
Typically, water seeps in through cracks in the road surface, collecting underneath.
Over time, the water continues to saturate the road base beneath, softening it. When the water freezes, it expands and forces up the road surface. Traffic adds stress, and the cycle of freezing temperatures and thawing causes further cracks to appear.
Potholes also form during the summer months where the foundations of the road have deteriorated. Stress from traffic causes potholes in isolated locations. The weight of traffic breaks up the road surface to form a pothole - and wear from traffic expands the hole.
What damage do potholes cause to your car?
According to the RAC’s tyre partner, ATS Euromaster, hitting a pothole can cause a number of wheel and tyre problems.
Initial impact on a vehicle can cause buckled wheels, cracks, lumps in the tyre, cracked alloys, and it can knock out the tracking and wheel balancing.
Reports have found that a third of all recorded vehicle damage is as a result of potholes.
In more severe cases, it could lead to drivers losing control of their vehicles and being involved in an accident.
What has the reaction to the potholes fund been?
RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: “There won’t be a road user in the country who doesn’t dodge a pothole on a daily basis, so any extra money to help fill them in is welcome.
“However, it is worth remembering there are 190,000 miles of road in England alone so the additional £200 million is going to be thinly spread.
“We mustn’t forget that road maintenance extends beyond the road surface to things like bridges.
“Councils also need the money to shore up the thousands of sub-standard crossings our research has shown are out there.”
Rick Green, who chairs the Asphalt Industry Alliance, welcomed the additional £200 million, but described it as “a fraction of the amount” local authorities need to fix potholes.
He said: “The Chancellor is right to recognise that potholes on our local roads are a curse, but the key thing is they are not inevitable, they are the symptom of a network underfunded for many years.
“Unlike other transport networks, there is no visible long-term investment plan for local roads and, without one, road users won’t see any real improvement in structural conditions on the roads they use every day and on which all other locally provided services rely.”
Martin Milliner, claims director at LV= General Insurance, said: “We’ve seen pothole claims rise by 11 per cent in the last year, so investment of an extra £200 million to tackle this is welcomed.
“It will help reduce disruption on our roads and cut compensation payments.”
