MPs and Industry Leaders Unite to Combat UK's Growing Pothole Crisis
Road Industry Leaders and MPs Unite to Address UK's Pothole Crisis
Pothole with car in background
The RAC organized a landmark event bringing together approximately 70 MPs, peers, and road industry experts to tackle Britain's growing pothole problem. Leaders from major road industry organizations including RSTA, IHE, AIA, and REA provided crucial insights on effective road maintenance strategies.
The Westminster gathering focused on helping MPs understand how local councils can maximize their existing funding for road maintenance. Attendees received detailed constituency-level data on road conditions and maintenance activities, covering both preservation treatments and complete resurfacing projects.
Five people at business meeting
The timing is particularly relevant as councils receive a record £1.6bn in government funding this financial year. Local authorities must now publish their pothole repair data or risk losing their share of an additional £500m allocated for road repairs.
Simon Williams, RAC's head of policy, emphasized the need to move away from temporary pothole patching toward 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:
- Councils face new reporting requirements for pothole repairs
- Current road maintenance backlog reaches nearly £17bn according to AIA's ALARM survey
- Labour government pledges multi-year funding settlements for local roads
- Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood attended the event
The initiative represents a significant step toward addressing the UK's road maintenance crisis through collaboration between policymakers and industry experts, focusing on long-term solutions rather than temporary fixes.