Potholes being tackled in South West
New reports show record spending on road maintenance, with councils in the South West spending more than £600 million
Last updated 15 hours ago
More than 1,100 miles of road resurfacing – nearly the equivalent distance from Plymouth to Reykjavík in Iceland - will be completed this year in the South West, according to new figures, as the government looks to give drivers more breathing space and help with the cost of living.
Figures from local councils show over 10% more resurfacing than took place last year, as data also shows that councils in the South West are starting to properly invest in their roads with £600 million total being spent this year, £125m more than before this government came to power.
The record figures show that the government’s £7.3 billion in funding for road maintenance is starting to deliver better roads for communities which have suffered from potholes, helping the average driver save up to nearly £600 pounds on costly repairs.
After the publication of the data, the government says it has gone even further and unlocked £220 million in incentive-based funding to councils across England, for meeting performance-based targets. It says further funding will be released later in the year, only if councils reach their performance targets and can be withheld if they fail to reach them, as part of the government’s efforts to hold councils to account.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “For too long potholes have been a point of national embarrassment forcing hard-working people, from Cheltenham to Truro, to fork out for repairs and posing a danger to all road users. But today’s figures show that we are starting to turn a corner.
“While we know there is much more to do, our record funding, combined with tough new rules holding councils to account, mean that drivers are making safer, smoother journeys, while giving people roads they can rely on."
The reports councils submitted to the government showed that nearly every council in the South West will complete preventative roadworks this year, stopping the same part of road being patched over and over again and stamping out potholes, before they have the chance to form in the first place.
It shows councils are doing more preventative works than last year, where only 76% did this work, showing that councils are changing behaviour as a result of clear direction from government, record funding and strict monitoring – meaning more money stays in the pocket of drivers.
Meanwhile, additional figures released last week show local road conditions improved in the year ending March 2026 across England, with less minor roads needing maintenance decreasing following works last year.
Operations Director at Kwik Fit, Dan Joyce, said: “Kwik Fit teams across the country have been repairing damage from potholes all too often, with tyres, wheels and suspension components most frequently suffering from the impact. Potholes not only cause costly damage, they can also present a significant risk to road safety.
“We welcome this increased investment, especially the additional focus on proactive maintenance, as this helps prevent potholes, before they become a danger to road users, or a drain on drivers’ wallets.”
RAC head of policy, Simon Williams, said: “This data is encouraging. It's good to see so many miles of road being resurfaced, but it's also positive that the preventative maintenance message has got through, as we've long argued that councils need to take steps to stop potholes appearing in the first place and not just patch them up. Surface dressing, if done properly, is a very cost-effective way of improving more roads for the long term.
“The proof, of course, will be in whether drivers and other road users notice the difference. Getting the country's roads up to a decent standard and keeping them there, isn’t an overnight job. But at least we’re now on the right track."