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Councils Warned over Pothole Funding Misuse
Councils must publish repair plans and prove highways money is spent on roads, as the DfT withholds nearly a third of the fund.
- On Tuesday, the Department for Transport announced that councils in England risk losing up to a third of their £1.6 billion funding for 2026/27 unless they prove they are spending money effectively on road maintenance.
- The pothole crisis, branded a "national disgrace", reached a record £18.6 billion in repair costs last month across England and Wales, prompting frustration over diverted funds.
- Roads and Buses Minister Simon Lightwood specified that £525 million in incentive funding will be withheld unless local authorities publish transparency reports, provide long-term plans, and train highways teams.
- Motoring groups the RAC and AA welcomed the new measures, with AA president Edmund King stating it is "right that councils are being scrutinised over their repair plans" ahead of May's local elections.
- Chancellor Rachel Reeves' wider £7.3 billion investment aims to reverse a decade of decline by providing multi-year funding certainty, facilitating long-term maintenance planning for local authorities.
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Labour to remove funding from local councils failing to tackle major road problems under new rules
Councils across England could lose millions of pounds in funding if they fail to prove they are properly fixing roads, the Government has warned.Under new rules announced by the Department for Transport, local authorities must now clearly show that money given for highways is being spent on maintaining roads, or risk having a large chunk of it taken away.Around £1.6billion has been set aside for councils next year, but up to £525million could be…
·London, United Kingdom
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources13
Leaning Left3Leaning Right2Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution38% Left, 37% Center
Bias Distribution
- 38% of the sources lean Left, 37% of the sources are Center
38% Left
L 38%
C 37%
R 25%
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