MPs and Industry Experts Join Forces to Tackle UK's Growing Pothole Crisis
MPs and road experts gathered at a landmark RAC-hosted event in Westminster to address the UK's escalating pothole crisis. Around 70 MPs and peers met with leading road industry experts from RSTA, IHE, AIA, and REA to discuss effective solutions for road maintenance.
Pothole with car in background
The event provided MPs with practical guidance on maximizing existing council funding for road maintenance, along with detailed constituency-level data on road conditions and maintenance activities. This information covered both preservation treatments and full resurfacing projects.
Five people at business meeting
Simon Williams, RAC's head of policy, emphasized the need to shift from reactive pothole patching to proactive maintenance: "Timely interventions – such as surface dressing on roads in good condition and resurfacing those beyond repair – are the real solution to ending the UK's pothole problem."
Key developments in the UK's road maintenance strategy include:
- Councils must now publish pothole repair data to access their share of an additional £500m for road repairs
- Current road maintenance backlog has reached nearly £17bn according to the latest ALARM survey
- Government has allocated a record £1.6bn in funding this financial year
- Labour's manifesto promises multi-year funding settlements for local councils to address "one million potholes across England"
Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood's attendance demonstrates the government's commitment to implementing effective road maintenance strategies. The initiative marks a significant step toward developing sustainable solutions for the UK's road infrastructure challenges.