Local authorities given extra £500m to fix potholes

Announcing the figures, the Department for Transport (DfT) said it was holding back 25% of the £500m uplift as an incentive until authorities had shown that they were “delivering”.

The government would, it added, make sure authorities spent the money wisely and maintained roads to avoid further potholes.

The Local Government Association (LGA) welcomed the funding, but asked the government to reconsider its decision to withhold a quarter of the uplift.

It said councils needed “greater certainty” over the funding, and asked for greater long-term investment.

Figures from monitoring group RAC show drivers encounter an average of six potholes per mile in England, and face spending around £500 on vehicle repairs because of pothole damage.

Sir Keir Starmer said damaged roads could risk lives and cost families “hundreds if not thousands” on repairs.

He wants his government’s new focus to be on people’s daily frustrations. Potholes is perhaps the archetypal example of an issue that enrages many.

But it is down to local councils, not national government, to deliver these repairs.

The LGA suggested more than £16bn could be needed to fix the backlog in road repairs.

According to the RAC, the UK faces a “pothole epidemic”.

A pothole is a hole in a road surface caused by factors such as repeated traffic impact and water damage.

Depending on its size, it can cause significant damage to vehicles and pose a danger to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

The average cost of fixing a pothole is £72 in England, according to a report, external by the The Asphalt Industry Alliance.