The Department for Transport has published updated requirements for local authorities to ‘demonstrate publicly' how well they are repairing potholes and local roads, as well as what they are doing to ‘future-proof' roads.
Building on existing transparency reporting that was introduced last year, councils will now be expected to publish local highways maintenance transparency reports – due to be released in September this year – that outline exactly how much is being spent on tackling the ‘pothole plague'.
This new guidance was developed with input from bodies such as the Local Councils Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) and the UK Roads Leadership Group (UKRLG) Asset Management Board, and focusses on encouraging full road resurfacing, as well as preventing potholes and working towards ending patch repairs for potholes.
According to the DfT, authorities and councils that fail to follow this updated guidance or to publish a report on time will have nearly a third of this year's funding held back to ensure that they are ‘transparent with taxpayers'.
Once published, these new reports will be used to update the controversial red/amber/green (RAG) ratings first published by the government earlier this year and was intended to demonstrate progress councils have made and how they compare to one another.
Roads and buses minister, Simon Lightwood, said: ‘For too long motorists have been left incensed by short-term work being prioritised over genuine long-term repairs.'
‘For the first time not only will councils need to show just how many potholes they are filling in, but what they are doing to avoid going back to fix the same pothole time and again - something which understandably infuriates drivers.
‘This is backed by a record £7.3 billion investment to help councils deliver the long-term road repairs motorists deserve.'
Councils that were rated red when the RAG ratings were first published are also receiving additional support from the government, including a total of £300,000 worth of expert help to help them ‘raise their standards and fix more roads'.
RAC head of policy, Simon Williams, commented: ‘Aside from potholes themselves, there's nothing that annoys drivers more than ones that have been poorly repaired and become potholes again in a matter of weeks or months. Bad repairs are a waste of time and money, so it's positive the government is prioritising long-term fixes over short-term patching and dashing.
‘Potholes need to be fixed promptly and permanently as they are a serious road safety danger to those on two wheels, along with causing expensive damage to vehicles. The poor state of Britain's roads is drivers' biggest gripe, so it's good to see a new approach being taken. Fixing potholes once and carrying out preventative maintenance that stops them forming in the first place is a big step towards improving our roads for the future.'
Kerry Winstanley, managing director at LCRIG, stated: ‘Through extensive collaboration between government and local authorities, we have helped develop a clearer and more consistent approach that will make future red, amber, green (RAG) ratings more measurable, comparable, and meaningful across the country.
‘That means road users, taxpayers and decision makers will have a clearer understanding of how local road networks are being managed and where improvements are being made. Better, more consistent data, will also help ensure investment and funding decisions are targeted where they can have the greatest impact, supporting long-term preventative maintenance planning and helping local authorities deliver more resilient road networks.'
Hannah Bartram, chief executive officer of the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT) added: ‘ADEPT fully supports greater transparency and the focus on long-term, preventative maintenance - the new funding and reporting requirements are positive steps in the right direction.
‘We're particularly pleased to see the new guidance recognises the ADEPT Carbon Leadership Programme and ADEPT Live Labs 2 programme, embedding decarbonisation and innovation into how councils report on and improve their highways maintenance. We look forward to reviewing the new guidance in full.'
