The Department for Transport (DfT) has come under fire from Parliament’s spending watchdog, the National Audit Office (NAO), after a report into its handling of the local road network in England.
The report by the NAO examined the DfT’s knowledge of the English local road condition, as well as its management of funds and support of local councils in delivering road maintenance.
Data from the DfT shows that the surface condition of local roads has been stable over time. Despite this, the NAO claims that information from many industry bodies suggests that conditions are deteriorating.
A recent survey by the Asphalt Industry Alliance found that only half of local roads (48% in 2023-24) were in good structural condition. In comparison, the DfT’s latest data showed that around two-thirds (67% in 2022-23) of the total local road network length was in good condition.
The report also highlighted that funding for local roads under the DfT has generally been short-term and dispersed via 12 different funds over the past 10 years. This differs from the money allocated for the strategic road network.
The NAO said the DfT should review its coverage requirements for local authorities on surface condition reporting, recommending that it incorporates advances in data collection and technology. It also suggested that it re-evaluates its approach to funding allocation, and works with the Treasury to enable longer-term funding security for local authorities.
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: “We are absolutely committed to tackling the poor state of our roads. That’s why we’ve pledged to support local authorities to fix local pothole-ridden roads for the long term.”
Simon Williams, head of policy for the RAC, said: “This is sadly yet more damning evidence that England’s local roads are in a truly dire state of repair.
“It’s bad enough that historically the Government doesn’t really know just how bad our roads are. But it’s absolutely staggering that it doesn’t know whether the money it gives to councils has been used effectively. This has to change and we very much hope the new government acts fast to fix it.”
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