There is some hope, however, because local councils received additional road maintenance funding as promised by Keir Starmer’s government at the beginning of the financial year in April.
While it’s still too early to see any of the benefits, the RAC’s head of policy, Simon Williams, urged councils to adopt a mindset of “prevention over patching” when it comes to allocating government cash.
“After filling the most severe potholes as permanently as possible, preventative treatments like surface dressing are by far the most effective because they stop potholes appearing in future,” said WIlliams. “Now councils have long-term certainty of funding, they can plan surfacing dressing works, along with resurfacing roads that are beyond repair.”
Of course, it’s worth pointing out that pothole-releated callouts, while proportionally at a seven-year high when it comes to all of the breakdowns the RAC attends, only account for 1.2 per cent of the total.
Nevertheless, chief executive of the Road Surface Treatments Association, Mike Hansford, says preventative treatment is key: “Untreated asphalt roads will naturally degrade over time, leading to the formation of potholes.”
Hansford continued, reiterating that “It is essential to invest in cost-effective preventative road surface treatments to seal the road; preventing water ingress, and to act as a barrier to the elements and the effects of trafficking, keeping roads in good condition for longer and preventing potholes.”
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