Giles called for what he described as “a multi-year ringfenced investment commitment [from the government]. This will help to ensure that highway engineers are able to take a holistic approach to maintaining the network, allowing them to use the right intervention at the right time.”
“A longer-term approach from [the] central government would also give the industry more confidence to invest further in lower-carbon solutions and equipment as well as in developing the skills of those that work across the sector,” he added.
This outcry was seconded by the LGA, with Councillor Hug stating that “Greater and sustainable long-term funding will enable councils to far more effectively plan for and invest in preventative treatments, which keep surfaces in better condition for longer.”
The Department for Transport is set to launch a spending review in the first quarter of this year. This will give us our first glimpse of the new government’s road maintenance strategy, with the current one set to end on 31 March.
Hug described this as “an opportunity to give councils greater, longer-term funding certainty, so they can help make our local roads more resilient to severe weather, boost inclusive economic growth and prevent potholes, which are more expensive to repair than preventative measures.”
Is the pothole situation getting worse in the UK? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section…
