ALARM survey spells more misery for road users

Road users in England and Wales continue to suffer as repair backlog reaches new heights

THE backlog of carriageway repairs in England and Wales has reached new heights at almost £17 billion, whilst roads are only surfaced, on average, once every 93 years.

The figures, from this year’s Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey report, published today (18 March), spell more misery for road users with more than half (52%) – equivalent to around 106,000 miles – of the local road network reported to have less than 15 years’ structural life remaining.

And, almost a third of these – 34,600 miles or one in six of the total – may only have up to five years life left.

David Giles, chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), which commissions the ALARM survey, said: ‘Over £20 billion has been spent on carriageway maintenance in England and Wales over the last decade, including spending to fill the equivalent of one pothole every 18 seconds, every day, for 10 years.

‘However, due partly to the short-term nature of the allocation of funding, it has resulted in no quantifiable uplift in the condition and resilience of the network.

‘In fact, almost all (94%) local authority highway teams reported that, in their opinion, there has been no improvement to their local network over the last year: a view no doubt shared by the majority of road users.’

The ALARM survey reports local road funding and conditions in England and Wales based on information provided directly by those responsible for the maintenance of the network. This year’s survey, the thirtieth, received a record 78% response rate from local authorities.

Over the past three decades ALARM has reported a repeated pattern of short-term cash injections in an effort to stem the accelerating decline in road conditions, followed by longer periods of cuts and underfunding.

The findings of ALARM 2025, which relate to the 2024/25 financial year, show that in England and Wales: 

• Local authorities would have needed an extra £7.4 million each last year to maintain their network to their own target conditions and prevent further deterioration.

• £16.81 billion is now reported to be required, as a one-off, for local authorities to bring the network up to their ‘ideal’ conditions.

• 24,400 miles (12%) of the network are likely to need some form of maintenance in the next 12 months.

• Just 1.5% of the local road network was resurfaced in the last year.

• Roads are only resurfaced, on average, once every 93 years.

• 1.9 million potholes have been filled at a cost of £137.4 million.

‘There needs to be a complete change in mindset away from short-term to longer term funding commitments,’ continued David Giles.

‘Local authorities do their best with the resources available. Nevertheless, they have told us they need their budgets to more than double for the next five to 10 years if they are going to be able to address the backlog of repairs.

‘That is why we are calling on Government, particularly now with a Comprehensive Spending Review ahead, to set a minimum five-year funding horizon and a substantial, sustained increase in investment with budgets ring-fenced specifically for local roads maintenance.

‘Investing in local roads would allow authorities to plan and provide better value for money for taxpayers and deliver a more resilient network while helping kickstart the Government’s economic growth plans.’

Local Government Association Transport spokesperson, Cllr Adam Hug, added: ‘It is no surprise to councils that the local roads repair backlog continues to rise, given inflation and huge demand pressures on local government statutory services.

‘The funding increase in the last Budget was positive and must now be followed by a commitment in the Spending Review to a long-term financial package to tackle this backlog and put it into reverse.

‘Investing in local roads now makes them more resilient and last longer, with direct benefits to road users, business, wider society, and the environment.

‘Councils have long called for a five-year funded package for maintaining our local roads, ensuring they are treated on a par with our motorways and major trunk roads, which is supported by this latest report.’

The full ALARM survey report is available to download at: www.asphaltuk.org