It’s going to take millions to fix London’s pothole predicament, according to a new report.
Potholes provoke outrage for drivers and cyclists across London, and the prognosis doesn’t look good.
The capital’s roads are worse than the national average, the Asphalt Industry Alliance is warning.
Their ALARM report alerts that “the state of the roads is getting worse and the amount of money we’ve got to repair them isn’t keeping up.”
But unlike potholes, council budgets aren’t bottomless pits.
London’s councils estimate they’d need a staggering £38.2 million just to bring the current backlog of road repairs to “a reasonably ready state”.
They say this could take eight years.
Potholes form when water enters cracks in the road
Budgets went up for the majority of boroughs last year, but just like the cracks in the tarmac, the backlog also continued to grow.
Speaking to City News, Robert McIlveen from the Mineral Products Association warned: “It’s promising that we’re getting the increased funding, but there’s a long way to go before we get on top of it.”
Why is London particularly bad?
Shockingly, 18 per cent of the capital’s roads are in the ‘red’ zone, with only 48 per cent in a good state. This is 10 per cent worse than the average for England.
Robert explained that the capital has “some unusual features” which could explain why it’s worse off.
While councils used to get funding from Transport for London (TfL), “that’s dried up in recent years and they’ve been having to rely on their own resources”.
But councils need the weather – not funding – to dry up to prevent potholes in the first place.
London’s shortfall is nearly £1 million more than the national average / Credit: Asphalt Industry Alliance, ALARM Report
Just last year alone, London’s councils would have needed an extra £9.7 million lying around to meet target conditions.
Robert also suggested “pattern of use” could be to blame. London’s “a very dense city” and “quite a different road network to the rest of the country,” he explained.
Croydon comes in second at 1,405. Meanwhile, Hackney has no reports to show, but this doesn’t mean their roads don’t have a crack or two.
Find out how your area compares using the map below.
A spokesperson for London Councils said: “Resources for highways maintenance are extremely stretched, and in the context of severe and growing financial pressures London boroughs are not always able to invest in local roads to the extent they would wish.”
“We continue to make the case for a sustainable, long-term funding settlement for highways maintenance, including the devolution of vehicle excise duty, so that boroughs have the certainty and resources needed to maintain London’s roads effectively,” they continued.
Barnet Council was also contacted for comment.
How can we fill in the cracks?
The bottom line: money.
According to Robert, “the earlier you spend, the earlier you save.”
The report says more long-term funding would help councils crack a smile, preventing holes in budgets and roads.
Meanwhile, the Tories want the Mayor to put £15 million into a ‘Pothole Repair Fund’ to tackle this pothole predicament. However, this proposal was defeated at last month’s budget meeting.
Robert says Londoners should tell politicans to make potholes a priority ahead of May’s local elections. He also reminded motorists to report them to their local council.
But while your road rage might drive you to despiar, he warns against taking matters into your own hands: “Do not under any circumstances attempt to fix one yourself!”.
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Headline‘Don’t fix them yourself’: Londoners warned against tackling pesky potholes
Short HeadlineLondon's pesky pothole predicament
StandfirstLondon's councils need millions to fix the state of the capital's roads
It’s going to take millions to fix London’s pothole predicament, according to a new report.
Potholes provoke outrage for drivers and cyclists across London, and the prognosis doesn’t look good.
The capital’s roads are worse than the national average, the Asphalt Industry Alliance is warning.
Their ALARM report alerts that “the state of the roads is getting worse and the amount of money we’ve got to repair them isn’t keeping up.”
But unlike potholes, council budgets aren’t bottomless pits.
London’s councils estimate they’d need a staggering £38.2 million just to bring the current backlog of road repairs to “a reasonably ready state”.
They say this could take eight years.
Potholes form when water enters cracks in the road
Budgets went up for the majority of boroughs last year, but just like the cracks in the tarmac, the backlog also continued to grow.
Speaking to City News, Robert McIlveen from the Mineral Products Association warned: “It’s promising that we’re getting the increased funding, but there’s a long way to go before we get on top of it.”
Why is London particularly bad?
Shockingly, 18 per cent of the capital’s roads are in the ‘red’ zone, with only 48 per cent in a good state. This is 10 per cent worse than the average for England.
Robert explained that the capital has “some unusual features” which could explain why it’s worse off.
While councils used to get funding from Transport for London (TfL), “that’s dried up in recent years and they’ve been having to rely on their own resources”.
But councils need the weather – not funding – to dry up to prevent potholes in the first place.
London’s shortfall is nearly £1 million more than the national average / Credit: Asphalt Industry Alliance, ALARM Report
Just last year alone, London’s councils would have needed an extra £9.7 million lying around to meet target conditions.
Robert also suggested “pattern of use” could be to blame. London’s “a very dense city” and “quite a different road network to the rest of the country,” he explained.
Croydon comes in second at 1,405. Meanwhile, Hackney has no reports to show, but this doesn’t mean their roads don’t have a crack or two.
Find out how your area compares using the map below.
A spokesperson for London Councils said: “Resources for highways maintenance are extremely stretched, and in the context of severe and growing financial pressures London boroughs are not always able to invest in local roads to the extent they would wish.”
“We continue to make the case for a sustainable, long-term funding settlement for highways maintenance, including the devolution of vehicle excise duty, so that boroughs have the certainty and resources needed to maintain London’s roads effectively,” they continued.
Barnet Council was also contacted for comment.
How can we fill in the cracks?
The bottom line: money.
According to Robert, “the earlier you spend, the earlier you save.”
The report says more long-term funding would help councils crack a smile, preventing holes in budgets and roads.
Meanwhile, the Tories want the Mayor to put £15 million into a ‘Pothole Repair Fund’ to tackle this pothole predicament. However, this proposal was defeated at last month’s budget meeting.
Robert says Londoners should tell politicans to make potholes a priority ahead of May’s local elections. He also reminded motorists to report them to their local council.
But while your road rage might drive you to despiar, he warns against taking matters into your own hands: “Do not under any circumstances attempt to fix one yourself!”.
