The call comes after Asphalt UK published their Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey report today, which provides detailed insight into the funding and condition of the local road network in England and Wales.
The report reveals a staggering £17 billion backlog in road repairs. Despite investing £20 billion to fill the equivalent of one pothole every 18 seconds, every day, for 10 years, the condition and resilience of the road network have not significantly improved.
In Kent, despite spending around £35m each year on planned road renewal and preservation work to prevent potholes occurring in the first place, the road maintenance backlog stands at £625m, while the Council has so far received 21,000 pothole reports from the public in 2024/25.
“The ALARM survey shows that the Government’s reliance on funding announcements each spring of short-term pothole fixes clearly isn’t having the desired effect.”
“The ALARM survey illustrates the very issue we face in Kent, where successive government announcements of short-term funding to fix potholes each year falls far short of the money actually needed to adequately maintain our heavily used road network,” said Neil Baker, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport.
"Potholes are the endpoint of a failing road and the number of defects reported on Kent’s roads remains exceptionally high. To really make a difference, Kent, and other councils in England and Wales, clearly need the Government to dramatically increase funding for larger-scale resurfacing and road maintenance programmes. The ALARM survey shows that the Government’s reliance on funding announcements each spring of short-term pothole fixes clearly isn’t having the desired effect.
“I welcome all funding from central government, but the annual headlines rarely make clear that the money awarded is for maintaining all highways assets – including assets such as drains, bridges, pavements, and streetlights –not just our roads. There needs to be a national discussion about how we are going to improve things across the whole country.
“I fully support Asphalt UK’s call for a complete overhaul of government road funding. We need more funds for councils to plan large-scale, long-term road maintenance and rebuilding. This will help tackle potholes, keep our economy growing, and ensure the people of Kent can move about their lives as they rightly demand.”
