07.01.2015
Freedom of Information requests made by the Press Association found that some councils have a road repair backlog totalling as much as £100m.
Some of the biggest backlogs were found in Leeds (£90m-£100m), Gloucestershire (£86m), Oldham (£60m), Rochdale (£58m), Islington in London (£79m) and Swindon (£40m).
Additionally, councils such as Plymouth, Northumberland and Derbyshire had a backlog of potholes running into the thousands.
The six-year funding for road repairs, which was announced in December, is unlikely to go far enough to fix the problem, according to RAC chief engineer David Bizley.
"Recent estimates by the Asphalt Industry Alliance suggest a one-off investment of £12bn is needed in England to deal with the backlog in road maintenance, the majority of which is associated with those roads for which local authorities are responsible," he said.
Councils Underfunded To Tackle Poor Roads
The £6 billion designated to local authorities to tackle potholes over the next six years will not be enough, according to new reports.Freedom of Information requests made by the Press Association found that some councils have a road repair backlog totalling as much as £100m.
Some of the biggest backlogs were found in Leeds (£90m-£100m), Gloucestershire (£86m), Oldham (£60m), Rochdale (£58m), Islington in London (£79m) and Swindon (£40m).
Additionally, councils such as Plymouth, Northumberland and Derbyshire had a backlog of potholes running into the thousands.
The six-year funding for road repairs, which was announced in December, is unlikely to go far enough to fix the problem, according to RAC chief engineer David Bizley.
"Recent estimates by the Asphalt Industry Alliance suggest a one-off investment of £12bn is needed in England to deal with the backlog in road maintenance, the majority of which is associated with those roads for which local authorities are responsible," he said.
Expert Opinion
The scale of the pothole problem identified by this latest report is alarming. We see time and time again cases in which people have suffered serious injuries from driving or cycling incidents caused by potholes and need further treatment and rehabilitation to aid their recovery. <br/> <br/>“It is important this information on the repair bills local authorities are facing is taken into account and steps are taken to ensure funds are available to maintain roads to the highest possible standards to help prevent accidents for happening.” Colin Ettinger - Consultant
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