£300 million boost to repair roads in the South West as public urged to report roads in need of repair

As Christmas travel begins, thousands in the South West will benefit from safer roads through a record £300 million Government investment to repair roads and fill potholes, announced today 20th December.

• Transport Secretary announces nearly £300 million to fix potholes in the South West for next year and clamps-down on disruptive street works   

• Funding goes well beyond manifesto pledge, helping councils fix the equivalent of seven million extra potholes next year and saving drivers hundreds of pounds in repairs  

• Roads in the South West have been plagued by potholes for too long, and the Government is investing to boost infrastructure as part of its Plan for Change  

With the drive home for Christmas about to begin, thousands of people in the South West will benefit from safer roads thanks to a record £300 million investment to fill potholes and repair roads, announced by the Government today (20th December 2024).  
  
In a Christmas boost for drivers, it comes as part of a record £1.6bn Government investment across England - an increase of nearly 50% on local road maintenance funding from last year -  goes well beyond the Government’s manifesto pledge, and is enough to fix the equivalent of over seven million extra potholes in 2025/26. 
  
Local authorities in the South West, including in in Cornwall, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and the West of England Combined Authority, will each receive a share of the funding, as the Government looks to rebuild Britain as part of its Plan for Change.  

Fixing our roads and filling potholes not only makes roads safer, but they also improve journey times and save drivers money from avoidable repairs.  

This comes as figures from the RAC show drivers encounter an average of six potholes per mile in England and Wales, and the cost of pothole damage to vehicles is around £500 on average, with more severe repairs costing considerably more. According to the AA, fixing potholes is a priority for 96 per cent of drivers.  

Road users in the South West are also being encouraged to report potholes in their area to their local council through a dedicated Gov.uk page.  

The Government is today announcing how much each local authority is being allocated. Each local authority can use its share of the £1.6bn for 2025/6 to identify which of their roads are in most need of repair, and to deliver immediate fixes for communities and raise living standards across every area of the country.  

To further protect motorists given continued cost-of-living pressures and potential fuel price volatility amid global uncertainty, the government has frozen fuel duty at current levels for another year to support hardworking families and businesses, saving the average car driver £59.  

This Government is delivering its Plan for Change with investment and reform to deliver growth, improving living standards by putting more money in people’s pockets, and rebuilding Britain.   

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:  

“Broken roads can risk lives and cost families hundreds if not thousands of pounds on repairs. That’s a cost that can easily be avoided by investing properly in our roads.  

“Through our Plan for Change we’re determined to put more money back into the pockets of hardworking people and improve living standards. That’s why we’re giving councils funding to repair our roads and get Britain moving again – with a clear expectation that they get on with the job. 

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:    

“Potholes have plagued motorists for far too long, but today’s record investment will start to reverse a decade of decline on our country’s roads. 

“Millions will drive home for Christmas today, but too many will have to endure an obstacle course to reach their loved ones. Potholes damage cars, and make pedestrians and cyclists less safe. We are investing £1.6bn to fix up to seven million more potholes next year.  

“This government is firmly on the side of drivers. Every area of England will get extra cash to tackle this problem once and for all. We have gone beyond our manifesto commitment to back motorists and help raise living standards in every part of the country.” 

The Government is also making sure authorities spend the money wisely, collect the right data, and deliver proactive maintenance before potholes start to form. The funding has built-in incentives, with 25% of this uplift held back until authorities have shown that they are delivering.  

Today, the government is also announcing that at least 50% of surplus lane rental funds will be reinvested into highways maintenance, so that even more roads can be improved. Lane rental schemes allow local highway authorities to charge companies for the time that street and road works occupy the road.  

Additionally, the Department is also consulting on devolving powers to approve lane rental schemes, which are currently with the Secretary of State, to local Mayors. This will support the delivery of more lane rental schemes and put power back into local hands.  

On top of this funding, the Transport Secretary is announcing a clampdown on disruptive street works,  doubling Fixed Penalty Notices for utility companies who fail to comply with rules and extending charges for street works that run into the weekend.   

Dan Norris, the Mayor of the West of England, said: 

“If you’re driving home for Christmas, news of an extra £6.7 million to fix potholes next year in the West of England will be music to motorists’ ears. So will the prospect of roadworks finishing sooner thanks to charges for companies doing roadworks – and doubling fines against utility companies who take too long. 

“The Government’s latest investment in transport across our region is nearly 50% higher than last year. With this funding, and the £540 million already secured for transport improvements by my Mayoral Combined Authority through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement – the highest per head in the whole country – the road ahead will be much smoother.” 

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “This is the biggest one-off road maintenance funding settlement councils in England have ever been given, so we have high hopes it’s the turning point that ends the degradation of our roads and finally delivers fit-for-purpose, smooth surfaces for drivers and all other road users.   

“What’s particularly positive is that this announcement is not just about giving councils money to fix dangerous potholes, it comes with the important caveat of using the money wisely by carrying out preventative maintenance to stop more potholes appearing in the future.  

“It’s also good to see the Government proactively encouraging drivers to report potholes, requiring councils to collect the right data to capture the true state of their road networks and incentivising authorities that use the money to good effect.”  

Edmund King, AA president, said; “Drivers and riders across England will be pleased to see this significant cash injection into smoothing out the local road network. With most journeys starting and ending on local roads, it is vital to restore the structural integrity of the streets we live on.  

“We urge councils to focus on permanent and innovative repairs rather than adopting a ‘patch and run’ approach. Better maintenance of the road network is the number one concern of drivers as damage costs a fortune and potholes can be fatal for those on two wheels.   

“Clamping down on poor works carried out by utilities companies and overrunning roadworks is sorely needed, and we are pleased to see action being taken here. Widening lane rental approval to local Mayors should reduce red tape, and we hope it means more roads can be opened in first class condition.”  

 
Today’s roads funding announcement builds on the wider support we’re giving to councils to deliver core services and serve their communities. £69 billion of funding will be injected into council budgets across England to help them drive forward the government’s Plan for Change through investment and reform and to fix the foundations of local government.