Drivers across London can now see how well their local highway authority (LHA) is tackling potholes thanks to a new traffic light rating system published by the Government ahead of National Pothole Day on January 15.
The new ratings – the first of their kind – grade authorities in London as red, amber or green based on current road condition and how effectively they are spending the Government’s record £300 million funding to fix potholes and invest in long term measures to maintain roads.
Those that scored Green, like Hillingdon and Lewisham, were able to demonstrate they are following best practice such as investing in more long-term preventative measures rather than just patching up potholes, while also maintaining good road conditions and investing significantly into improving local roads.
‘Amber’ ranked LHAs showed some of these qualities with room for improvement in individual areas, while those rated ‘red’ are not yet meeting the expected standards in one or several areas measured by the ratings such as the current state of the roads, their plans for preventing potholes or investment into maintaining their local roads more widely.
An interactive map showing every LHAs rating is now live with the ratings designed to recognise best practice and drive improved performance from them.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:
“For too long drivers in London have paid the price because our roads were left to deteriorate. I have heard time and again their frustration on footing the bill because they hit a pothole – money they should never have to spend in the first place.
“We’ve put our money where our mouth is, increasing the funding in London with £300 million to fix roads and given them the long-term certainty they have been asking for. Now it’s over to them to spend the money wisely, and for the first time we are making sure the public can see how well local highway authorities are doing in delivering the improvements they want to see in their local area.
“This Government’s record investment will save drivers money on repairs, make roads safer and help restore pride in our communities.”
The first of its kind rating system shines a light on where local authorities are excelling and, crucially, where more needs to be done to deliver change people see in their communities.
It comes after the Government backed LHAs with a record multi-year investment to improve the condition of their roads, after years of them calling for long-term certainty. This is allowing them to repair potholes effectively and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and instead invest in long-term preventative measures. The fixes will mean more money in drivers’ pockets – with the average vehicle repair bill from hitting potholes around £320, with some motorists paying over £1,000 last year.
The Government’s record £7.3 billion national investment for local road maintenance is enough for LHAs to renew and improve tens of thousands of miles of roads in every corner of the country.
The red, amber, green ratings are based on three key areas: the condition of local roads, how much LHAs are spending on road repairs, and whether they are following best practice in maintaining highways..
To boost standards, LHAs currently rated red will receive dedicated support to bring them in line with best practices, backed by £300,000 worth of expert planning and capability assistance. The support programme will include peer reviews where sector experts will help improve processes and provide practical advice.
As an incentive to better roads, access to full future funding allocations will be linked to performance, ensuring LHAs are encouraged to get on with the job and use taxpayer money efficiently to repair and maintain their roads before potholes form.
To further ensure transparency from LHAs, 25% of local highway authorities’ £500 million funding uplift this financial year was withheld until they published transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice. The withheld £125 million in funding was unlocked at the end of last year by councils which successfully submitted their reports.
In further support for local authorities, the Government will extend the Live Labs 2 programme for another year, providing up to £300,000 to help LHAs access and adopt more innovative approaches to maintenance, including uptake of longer-lasting, low-carbon materials for repairing roads faster, more efficiently and far less often. These materials can unlock savings for the taxpayer, lower emissions and reduce disruptive roadworks long-term to keep drivers moving.
The announcement comes in the same week the Government unveiled [LINK] the first Road Safety Strategy in over a decade, to save thousands of lives on the nation’s roads by tackling drink driving, improving training for young drivers, and introducing mandatory eye tests for older motorists.
Edmund King, AA president and founding member of the Pothole Partnership, said:
“The top transport demand for 96% of AA members is fixing potholes with increased investment in repairing and upgrading roads.
“We welcome this Government initiative to hold local highways authorities to account which should help to promote the Pothole Partnership objective of more proactive and permanent repairs.”
