East Midlands Reform councils given lowest ‘red’ rating in tackling pothole plague

Image by Jacob Ode from Pixabay

Three Reform-led councils in the East Midlands have been given the lowest rating over how they are tackling the pothole plague on our region’s roads.

On 11th January, the Labour Government published a new traffic light rating system – the first of its kind – so drivers across England’s 154 local highways authorities can see how effectively their council is fixing potholes and investing in long term measures to maintain roads by grading them as either green, amber or red.

Reform-run Derbyshire County Council, Leicestershire County Council and West Northamptonshire Council were all rated as red, meaning they are not meeting the expected standard on either the condition of local roads, spending on road repairs, or following best practice in maintaining highways – or a combination of the above

The ratings come after the Government backed councils with a record multi-year investment to improve the condition of their roads, after years of them calling for long-term certainty. This is allowing councils to repair potholes effectively and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and instead invest in long-term preventative measures. The fixes will mean more money in drivers’ pockets – with the average vehicle repair bill from hitting potholes around £320, with some motorists paying over £1,000 last year.

Labour group leader on Derbyshire County Council, Anne Clarke, said: “We all know from talking to residents that fixing potholes is a huge priority – especially in our county which has been rated the worst for potholes of anywhere in the UK by the RAC.”

“The fact that Reform has failed to get a grip of the problem after promising so much at the local elections is shameful. They should stop making empty promises to the people of Derbyshire and get on with the job.”

Labour group leader on Leicestershire County Council, Jewel Miah, said: “Our council has received record funding from this Labour Government to tackle potholes, yet Reform are failing at turning that cash into change on our roads.

“Residents deserve an explanation as to why the council isn’t taking action and is costing drivers hundreds of pounds to repair their cars.”

Labour group leader on West Northamptonshire Council, Sally Keeble, said: “To be one of only 13 councils in England to receive the red rating is shocking, especially after the huge investment by this Labour Government.

“Residents will rightly be questioning why Reform are raising our council tax by the full amount when they can’t even use the funding they already get to fix our roads.”

The Government’s record £7.3 billion for local road maintenance is enough for councils to renew and improve tens of thousands of miles of roads in every corner of the country.

The red, amber, green ratings are based on three key areas: the condition of local roads, how much councils are spending on road repairs, and whether they are following best practice in maintaining highways.

The first of its kind rating system shines a light on where local authorities are excelling and, crucially, where more needs to be done to deliver change people see in their communities.

Those that scored green were able to demonstrate they are following best practice such as investing in more long-term preventative measures rather than just patching up potholes, while also maintaining good road conditions and investing significantly into improving local roads.

‘Amber’ ranked councils showed some of these qualities with room for improvement in individual areas, while those rated ‘red’ are not yet meeting the expected standards in one or several areas measured by the ratings such as the current state of the roads, their plans for preventing potholes or investment into maintaining their local roads more widely.

To boost standards, councils currently rated red will receive dedicated support to bring them in line with best practices, backed by £300,000 worth of expert planning and capability assistance. The support programme will include peer reviews where sector experts will help improve processes and provide practical advice.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “For too long drivers have paid the price because our roads were left to deteriorate. I have heard time and again their frustration on footing the bill because they hit a pothole – money they should never have to spend in the first place.

“We’ve put our money where our mouth is, increasing the funding for councils with £7.3 billion to fix roads and given them the long-term certainty they have been asking for. Now it’s over to them to spend the money wisely, and for the first time we are making sure the public can see how well councils are doing in delivering the improvements they want to see in their local area.

“This government’s record investment will save drivers money on repairs, make roads safer and help restore pride in our communities.”

As an incentive to better roads, access to full future funding allocations will be linked to performance, ensuring councils are encouraged to get on with the job and use taxpayer money efficiently to repair and maintain their roads before potholes form.

To further ensure transparency from councils, 25% of local highway authorities’ annual funding was withheld until they published transparency reports setting out their maintenance plans, allowing residents and taxpayers to see how the money is being used. The withheld £125 million in funding was unlocked at the end of last year, following all councils successfully submitting reporting.

In further support for local authorities, the Government will extend the Live Labs 2 programme for another year, providing up to £300,000 to help councils access and adopt more innovative approaches to maintenance, including uptake of longer-lasting, low-carbon materials for repairing roads faster, more efficiently and far less often. These materials can unlock savings for the taxpayer, lower emissions and reduce disruptive roadworks long-term to keep drivers moving.

The announcement comes in the same week the Government unveiled the first Road Safety Strategy in over a decade, to save thousands of lives on the nation’s roads by tackling drink driving, improving training for young drivers, and introducing mandatory eye tests for older motorists.