Government "doesn't know" if annual £1.6bn spend is improving roads

National Audit Office report slams Department for Transport's lack of understanding and council support

The government “does not know” if £1.6 billion per year of taxpayer money sent to local councils is actually making a difference to the state of England’s crumbling roads, a National Audit Office (NAO) report has revealed.

Documents released today state that this is down to the Department for Transport (DfT) “not having a good enough understanding of the condition of local roads” and, as a result, not allocating funding “as effectively as possible” to the correct local authorities.

Moreover, the DfT is not following up – and has not done so “for some years” – with these councils to help them make the most of “their limited funds”.

This has led to just 48% of England’s 183,000 miles of roads being estimated to be in a “good structural condition”, the NAO’s report reveals, with 35% in adequate and 17% in poor conditions.

One of the most documented issues is potholes, with roads now estimated to have 1.9m of them.

A separate industry report estimates it will cost £15.6 billion to fix and improve the entire road network.

As such, the NAO said it is “essential that DfT secures maximum value from the funding it has available”. 

Those funds will come in the form of an additional £320m per year promised by the new Labour government, on top of the already allocated £1.6bn per year – which is set to increase to an as yet unknown amount – to 2034.

In addition, the NAO report stated this additional cash “provides an opportunity to equip local authorities to better meet [future] challenges”, such as climate change, more vehicle demand and the incoming use of autonomous vehicles.

The AA said the report's findings were “staggering”.

In a statement, it added: “This has to change and we very much hope the new government acts fast to fix it. “There’s also no question that local authorities need more money to help them plan long-term maintenance.”

As part of the report, the DfT confirmed that poorly maintained local roads can be dangerous to the people using them, lead to congestion and longer journeys, and cause people to avoid types of travel, such as cycling or walking.

It added that well-maintained local roads are vital for the economy and the social well-being of communities.