15th February 2021
A £500m fund for pothole repairs has been allocated to English local authorities.
The news comes as media reports suggest potholes were taking longer to be repaired, compared with previous years.
Research has shown local authorities have left holes for as long as 18 weeks in some areas.
On average, last year, it took English councils two days more to make pothole repairs, compared with 2018.
The £500 investment is expected to fix 10 million potholes around the country.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has been investing in pothole repairs since 2015. The latest cash injection is part of the £2.5bn Potholes Fund, which provides £500m every year between 2020/1 and 2024/5.
In context, the DfT is investing more than £1bn in road maintenance across England in 2021/22.
“We know potholes are more than just a nuisance,” said transport minister Baroness Vere. “They can be dangerous to drivers and cyclists alike and cause damage to thousands of vehicles every year.
“The funding allocated today will help councils ensure roads in their area are kept up to standard,” confirmed Vere. She added that she hoped the potholes “that blight road users can be dealt with promptly”.
The Potholes Fund replaced the Pothole Action fund, which ran from 2015/16 to 2020/21.
The pothole repairs news comes a month after JCB announced a machine to fix the holes in the road.
The Pothole Pro can fix holes in under eight minutes and moves between sites at speeds of up to 40km/h (25mph).
The average pothole costs around £50 to be repaired. As a result, this investment means all road types can be improved and made more comfortable to drive on.
It will also lead to fewer incidents and less downtime caused by blown tyres damaged by holes in the road.