National pothole day for UK

The poor state of the UK road network is being highlighted today, January 15th 2025, with National Pothole Day. According to David Giles, chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance, “It’s important to remember that the challenge to improve the condition of our local road network goes beyond simply filling in potholes.

“We know from our Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey 2024 that local road conditions are at an all-time low due to decades of underfunding1 and that it would now cost more than £16 billion to tackle the backlog of repairs across England and Wales.

“If we want to see want to see improved conditions, local authorities need sustained, targeted and accountable funding – provided on both a needs and improvement basis – over the long term. This would allow highway engineers to carry out the right maintenance and repair interventions at the right time – delivering better value for money for the public funds allocated and helping to ensure we have a local road network that is safe, keeps people connected and supports economic growth.”

The UK has suffered from deterioration of its road network over the past 14 years. This has resulted from local councils having budgets slashed by an average 40% by the previous central government.