Road Maintenance 2025-04-07

Question

My right hon. Friend reminds me of the road on which I live, where drivers trying to avoid a pothole in the road went on to the pavement, which led to the pavement being damaged. Does she agree that fixing potholes quickly will save pavements as well?

Question

At my constituency surgery on Friday, my constituent Helen came to see me because she has had a terrible fall on a badly maintained pavement, and she has really been struggling to find out who is responsible for maintaining the pavement. Does anything in the funding brought forward by this Government enable quick and easy repairs to pavements, so that people like Helen do not have terrible accidents?

Question

Can she throw some light on an issue that has puzzled me for some time in my New Forest East constituency? A stretch of road—Southampton Road—is often used as a short cut by very heavy goods vehicles, rather than using the appropriate route. Does this increase the wear and tear on the roads?

Question

Surrey has 70,000 potholes—5% of all the nation’s potholes and the most in the country. How will this extra money help my constituents?

Question

Will the Secretary of State give way?

Question

It would be churlish of anybody in this Chamber not to welcome all the money the right hon. Lady says she will spend on roads. There is new technology for a better and more modern way of fixing potholes, cheaper and better than current methods. Will the Secretary State share this scheme?

Question

Asked about the legal basis of decisions on appropriate speed limits on local roads, stressing safety as a priority.

Question

Discussed the necessity of good roads in delivering economic growth and societal benefits, addressing the division between national and local infrastructure management.

Question

Asked about improving the safety on the A1 after previous dualling efforts failed.

Question

Asked about the effectiveness of managed decline policies in Oxfordshire.

Question

Asked about mechanisms to address worsening roads in Birmingham.

Question

Critiqued the effectiveness of Conservative policies in Newcastle-under-Lyme with specific examples of poor road conditions.

Question

To quote a more recent figure from the annual local authority road maintenance 2025 report, when the Conservatives left office they left us with a backlog of £16.8 billion-worth of pothole repairs. What does he say to the people who are still driving over those potholes?

Question

After 14 years of Conservative rule and the increasing effects of climate change, too many of our roads are in a sorry state. Figures from the RAC show that drivers encounter, on average, six potholes per mile in England and Wales.

Question

Discussed the poor state of roads in his constituency, highlighting Elliott Street and other areas like Keighley, Ilkley, Silsden, and Steeton. He mentioned a 10% increase in council tax and raised concerns about Bradford Council's allocation of funds, noting that only £4.1 million was spent on highways across the Keighley and Ilkley constituency between 2017 and 2022.

Question

Highlighted road maintenance issues in Burnley, Padiham, and Brierfield. He mentioned the underfunding of roads for 14 years and the upcoming £1.6 billion investment in roads this year, with Lancashire receiving a total funding package of £46.825 million.

Question

Does the hon. Friend agree with the Eastbourne seniors forum that the state of pavements outside the Halifax is disgraceful, leading to trips and falls?

Question

Improving roads is critical for economic growth. How will the funding be used to benefit Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire?

Question

The communities in my constituency are being failed by our current road maintenance system, which has low consideration for road safety, moves too slowly and does not value the impact on communities. The A50, where pinch-point roundabouts cause huge delays, is an example of this issue.

Question

Roads are essential for people in the Scottish Borders to get around. However, there has been a lack of investment by the SNP Government, leading to severe financial pressure on councils like mine. The cuts imposed have been described as 'brutal' and 'savage'.

Question

Does my hon. Friend agree that this causes inconvenience not only to the many commuters who use the A1, but affects local businesses in Alnwick and the safety of the crossings?

Question

Staffordshire has the worst roads in the country, with residents and staff feeling let down for far too long. Will my hon. Friend give way to discuss further?

Question

For residents in Stratford-on-Avon, road maintenance is one of the most visible signs of how poorly their local area is being looked after. The funding allocated for road repairs is falling short of what is needed.

Question

I am pleased to speak in this important debate. As I travelled down this morning, I took a moment to appreciate the headline of my local newspaper, which stated...

Question

The hon. Member highlighted the severe pothole issues in Glasgow's Great Western Road, which has seen a significant increase in compensation payouts to drivers due to road deterioration. She called for better enforcement and cooperation between utility companies and the council to avoid repeated digging up of roads.

Question

The hon. Member praised Edinburgh's independently assessed road condition indicator improvement but pointed out that Scotland’s roads are in a horrendous state, with more than 400,000 potholes reported since 2021. He called for the Scottish Government to set up a similar fund as the UK Government and show ambition when it comes to addressing the pothole crisis.

Question

According to the RAC, Derbyshire is the area with the most potholes on record in England. The Conservative-run county of Derbyshire had a whopping 90,000 potholes last year, with the next-worst area having more than 20,000 fewer. This Government’s £1.6 billion investment in potholes means £75 million for the East Midlands combined county authority, but fixing those potholes only scratches the surface of the work that is needed.

Question

For 14 long years, road users in Bournemouth got a raw deal with broken roads and the lack of investment is a false economy. The Government has committed an additional £4.8 billion to deliver vital road schemes and maintain major roads across the country, including handing councils a record £1.6 billion to repair roads and fill millions of potholes.

Question

Following Labour’s success in winning control of Bracknell Forest council, a plan was set out to invest £5 million over four years including an extra £1 million over the baseline in this year’s budget. On top of that local investment, there is a 35% uplift in Bracknell’s potholes budget which is £3.2 million more.

Question

A specific example provided by an unspecified MP mentioned disruptions due to utility companies on Yorktown Road in Sandhurst where repeated roadworks caused significant inconvenience to residents, leaving the resurfaced roads in a terrible state.

Question

Discussed extensive disruption from roadworks across Stafford and surrounding areas, criticising the lack of strategic planning between organisations leading to repeated closures. Mentioned £40 million funding but questioned its effective use.

Question

Spoke about neglected roads under previous governments, citing dangerous conditions like the B6307 and poor repairs on rural roads. Called for improved communication and proper funding.

Question

Stressed the need for better road maintenance with only 36% of local roads in good condition, highlighting impacts on both motorists and cyclists.

Question

Would the hon. Member sympathise with my concerns about underfunding from the Mayor of London affecting road maintenance in areas like Romford, despite taking huge sums of money from constituents?

Question

The hon. Member for Broadland and Fakenham dismissed the issue of deteriorating road conditions. Can you provide evidence that Wolverhampton North East is experiencing a significant decline in road quality?

Question

The Conservative-run county council in Hertfordshire has failed on road repairs, leaving roads in a state of total disrepair. How can the Government ensure proactive reporting and better allocation of funds to address this issue?

Question

Potholes are not just an inconvenience but a danger, damaging vehicles, putting cyclists and pedestrians at risk, and disrupting daily life. Doncaster’s roads have a repair backlog sitting in the hundreds of millions due to increased costs and budget cuts by previous governments.

Question

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that it is better to give funding directly to local councils instead of mayors, so money can be spent more specifically in areas where constituents need it?

Question

In my constituency, potholes are a danger causing vehicle damage, risking cyclists and pedestrians, costing money for repairs. This situation is the legacy of poor service under the previous Conservative administration. North Tyneside has seen staggering levels of negligence resulting in £250k in payouts due to inadequate road maintenance.

Question

Residents feel forgotten with poor road conditions leading to vehicle damage, safety concerns for cyclists and bikers. Staffordshire county council's highway recovery plan has yet to improve areas like Kidsgrove where pavements are broken or fenced off for over four years.

Question

The hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent North (David Williams) questioned whether Ministers and the Secretary of State are backing innovative councils like Stoke-on-Trent to get basic road repairs done properly, especially in areas that have been neglected.

Question

The hon. Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Alison Hume) discussed pothole damage in her constituency, noting that it costs drivers around £600 on average with severe repairs costing much more. She also highlighted the patchwork approach to repairs and called for permanent solutions.

Question

In response to the debate, Jerome Mayhew questioned whether the Minister agreed with the Local Government Association's assessment of funding cuts and vehicle excise duty increases impacting local authorities' ability to fund roads.

Question

Asked if the Minister would give way on a point of order regarding correcting a misquote during the debate.

Question

Asked if any Reform MPs have constituents with pothole issues, noting their absence during debates.

Question

Asked about ensuring fair distribution of highway spending across an entire district rather than just city centres.