England’s worst roads revealed as pothole repair bill reaches record £18.6bn
Areas with the worst road conditions in the UK have been revealed as motorists increasingly complain about potholes and the UK’s poor infrastructure.
Derbyshire holds the record for the worst road conditions among councils, according to official data from the Department for Transport.
The cost of restoring pothole-ridden local roads in England and Wales is estimated at a record £18.6 billion.
Along with Derbyshire, several London councils appear in the top 10 list, followed by Richmond upon Thames, Wandsworth and Merton.
Also included are Waltham Forest, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Sutton and Bromley.
Bath and north-east Somerset are ranked 10th, while other poorly performing councils outside the capital include Cambridgeshire, Southend-on-Sea and Bristol.
The government recently published a ‘traffic light system’ that rates 154 local highway authorities on the condition of their roads using a red, yellow or green metric.
Each was given a score based on the condition of roads A, B, C and U; 20 was the lowest possible score and 100 was the maximum score.
Portsmouth ranks best for road conditions with all scores above 85, while the Isles of Scilly, Isle of Wight, Wokingham and Gloucestershire also perform well.
The Department for Transport published new reporting requirements for English councils earlier this week, requiring officials to prove they are doing more to repair potholes and future roads.
This aims to encourage full resurfacing of roads rather than short-term fixes.
Local authorities risk losing up to a third of their funding for road maintenance if they cannot show they are working effectively.
Roads Minister Simon Lightwood said: “For too long motorists have been angered by the prioritization of short-term work rather than real long-term repairs. That changes today thanks to our new guidance.”
A motoring expert has warned that tackling potholes should not be an “environmental issue”, saying “our country is nothing without its roads”.
AA chief executive Edmund King said motorists “feel short-changed” as they pay tens of billions of pounds a year to the Treasury, but too many roads suffer from potholes that are left unfilled or poorly repaired.
Revenue from fuel duty alone was worth £24.3bn in the year to the end of March. Other taxes paid by drivers include fuel VAT, vehicle consumption tax and insurance premium tax.
Mr King said motorists were paying the price for the failed “patch and run” approach, where potholes were poorly filled and returned within weeks.
He continued: “For 96 per cent of drivers, this is the number one transportation issue. We see this first hand at AA.”
“Last year our patrols were called to 617,000 pothole-related incidents, including tire punctures, damaged wheels, steering and suspension damage.
“For drivers, it’s the worst feeling: dark nights, wet roads, puddles, you can’t see the pothole and then you hear the explosion.”
New figures from insurer Aviva show a quarter of claims for pothole damage result in vehicles being written off.
This occurs when the estimated cost of repair exceeds the value of the vehicle or it is not possible to return the vehicle to a safe condition.
According to Aviva, claims for potholes (including repairs and cancellations) are worth an average of £3,863.
An LGA Spokesperson said: “Different councils face very different circumstances, from the condition and density of traffic on their roads to terrain and weather conditions, so it is right that local authorities adopt an approach that suits their needs.
“That’s why many municipalities are taking a risk-based approach to how they assess potholes, their severity, and what needs should be addressed and in what order.
“Councils face an £18bn road repair backlog. Only adequate funding with long-term certainty will help councils plan future maintenance more effectively, focus more on preventative measures – which will ultimately save taxpayers’ money and reduce the need for repairs – and be able to invest in innovation.”
The Ministry of Transport was contacted for comment.
