The 2025 Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey report, out today, reveals that 52% of the local road network – around 106,000 miles – is reported to have less than 15 years’ structural life remaining.
And, almost a third of these – 34,600 miles – may only have up to five years life left.
David Giles, chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), which commissions the ALARM survey, said: “Over £20bn has been spent on carriageway maintenance in England and Wales over the last decade, including spending to fill the equivalent of one pothole every 18 seconds, every day, for 10 years.
“However, due partly to the short-term nature of the allocation of funding, it has resulted in no quantifiable uplift in the condition and resilience of the network.
“In fact almost all (94%) local authority highway teams reported that, in their opinion, there has been no improvement to their local network over the last year: a view no doubt shared by the majority of road users.”
The ALARM survey reports local road funding and conditions in England and Wales based on information provided directly by those responsible for the maintenance of the network. This year’s survey, the 30th, received a record 78% response rate from local authorities.
Over the past three decades ALARM has reported a repeated pattern of short-term cash injections in an effort to stem the accelerating decline in road conditions, followed by longer periods of cuts and underfunding.
The ALARM 2025 report, which relates to the financial year to end of March 2025, shows that in England and Wales:
- Local authorities would have needed an extra £7.4m each last year to maintain their network to their own target conditions and prevent further deterioration.
- £16.81bn is now reported to be required, as a one-off, for local authorities to bring the network up to their ‘ideal’ conditions. A year ago the backlog was put at £16.3bn.
- 24,400 miles (12%) of the network are likely to need some form of maintenance in the next 12 months.
- Just 1.5% of the local road network was resurfaced in the last year.
- Roads are only resurfaced, on average, once every 93 years.
- 1.9 million potholes have been filled at a cost of £137.4 million.
“There needs to be a complete change in mindset away from short-term to longer term funding commitments,” David Giles said. “Local authorities do their best with the resources available. Nevertheless, they have told us they need their budgets to more than double for the next five to 10 years if they are going to be able to address the backlog of repairs.
“That is why we are calling on government, particularly now with a comprehensive spending
review ahead, to set a minimum five-year funding horizon and a substantial, sustained
increase in investment with budgets ring-fenced specifically for local roads maintenance.
“Investing in local roads would allow authorities to plan and provide better value for money
for taxpayers and deliver a more resilient network while helping kickstart the government’s
economic growth plans.”
Local Government Association transport spokesperson, Cllr Adam Hug, said: “It is no
surprise to councils that the local roads repair backlog continues to rise, given inflation and
huge demand pressures on local government statutory services.
“The funding increase in the last budget was positive and must now be followed by a
commitment in the spending review to a long-term financial package to tackle this backlog
and put it into reverse.
“Investing in local roads now makes them more resilient and last longer, with direct benefits to road users, business, wider society and the environment.”
Institute of Highway Engineers chief executive Lyle Andrew said: “This year’s ALARM findings continue to highlight the ongoing challenges faced in maintaining the local road network. Budget cuts of 4.1% in real terms, has led to the continuing deterioration of what is our most valuable asset.
“Short-term funding allocations have failed to provide the necessary improvements required to uphold network resilience. It is clear that the only viable option is long-term investment in order for local authorities to carry out essential works to the local roads.
“With the spending review set to conclude this spring, the reported £16.8bn one-off payment would take 12 years to complete, to adequately prevent further deterioration of the road network and aid in a solution to the growing pothole issue. However, with 52% of local roads now having less than 15 years’ structural life remaining, this continued shortfall in funding risks worsening surface failures and network decline.”
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
