RHA Welcomes £8 Billion Road Maintenance Spending Pledge

The RHA today welcomes the announcement of further details around the government’s pledge to spend an extra £8 billion to be used on maintaining our road network.

Ensuring that local authorities are adequately resourced to tackle the backlog of maintenance issues is essential. As such, the RHA welcomes that this pledge is for funding over the next 10 years, ensuring that local councils will be able to tackle the scourge of potholes in their area.

The RHA also welcomes that the government is introducing reporting requirements for councils, so that motorists know that this funding is being spent directly on road maintenance and not other transport projects.

At a time when local authorities are under significant financial pressure, this transparency is essential to ensure that the money is spent efficiently, and we believe will be a positive step for change on our roads.

Finally, the RHA also welcomes the role in which the announcement will play in the government’s Network North proposals. While the funding covers regions across England, it is welcomed that £3.3 billion worth of funding is to be allocated to councils in the North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber; areas where road investment has been neglected for far too long.

Ensuring our existing infrastructure is fit for purpose is the first step in ensuring that the UK’s road network can maximise productivity and unlock further economic growth.