ALARM survey reports sharp rise in potholes

Extreme rainfall in 2012 highlights £10 billion crumbling roads crisis, says Asphalt Industry Alliance

THE annual national survey of local road network condition and funding published today (14 March 2013) reveals a crumbling road crisis of increasing concern, renewing calls for government support for increased and longer-term funding.

Commissioned by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), the 18th Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey was completed by 75% of councils across England and Wales and reports that the number of potholes filled over the last year rose to more than two million, a 29% increase on the previous year.

The AIA is calling for action from central government to introduce longer-term funding mechanisms, to allow councils to move from one-year costly cycles of highly reactive work to planned, preventative maintenance programmes.

The cost of filling the estimated 2.2 million potholes across England and Wales came to £113 million, while £32 million was paid out in compensation claims and the cost of staff time spent on claims amounted to more than £13 million.

Councils also paid out 50% more last year than the previous year in compensation claims from road users for damage or injury due to poor road condition.

While the cost of filling potholes is not increasing significantly overall, they indicate poor road condition that is costing the country heavily in many other ways. This year, local authorities in England (including London) report a shortfall in their annual budgets of £829 million. Across England and Wales, authorities estimate that £10.5 billion would be needed to bring their roads back into reasonable condition.

‘Constantly having to patch up crumbling roads rather than using highway engineers’ skills properly, to ensure good road condition in a planned and cost-effective way, is nonsensical and costly to the country,’ said AIA chairman Alan Mackenzie.

‘The Department for Transport’s ‘Potholes Review’ was a welcome initiative and concluded that ‘prevention is better than cure’. When you add up all the costs incurred by not following this advice, it’s hard to understand why central government cannot find a way to invest in this much-needed work and save on higher costs in the future.’

The local road network accounts for 95% of the country’s roads. One in five local roads is reported as being in ‘poor condition’, which is defined as having five years or less life remaining. The longer remedial work is delayed the more its cost increases.

Poor local road condition is said to be costing the country’s small and medium-sized businesses a cumulative £52 billion a year through reduced productivity, increased fuel consumption, damage to vehicles and delayed deliveries.

The 59% of ALARM respondents whose roads were damaged as a result of the extreme rainfall in 2012, estimated the total cost of their repairs at £338 million.

‘Emergency funding from government is welcome, but a little extra here and there makes very little difference,’ said Mr Mackenzie. ‘The additional £215 million announced in the autumn to help improve local road condition over the next couple of years doesn’t even cover the £338 million of damage repair needed as a result of last year’s rainfall.

‘It’s time to stop the rot. The Government needs to make sufficient funding available now that will enable local authorities to get their roads back into a condition that will quickly and directly boost the economy, help businesses and improve local communities.’

Alarm Survey 2013 – Quick Facts

• £829 million annual funding shortfall – England and London.
• £6.2 million annual budget shortfall (per authority, England).
• 1 in 5 roads with residual life of less than five years.
• 12 years to clear backlog (in England).
• £338 million – cost of damage caused by 2012 extreme rainfall.
• £10.5 billion – estimated ‘one-off’ costs to get roads back into reasonable condition.
• £32 million – amount paid in road-user compensation claims.
• 2.2 million potholes filled across England and Wales.
• £113 million – total spent filling potholes – England and Wales.