WIREDGOV

Councils in England have been urged to get on with mending potholed roads – or risk missing out on millions of pounds in funding.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced that an extra £500 million will be shared among local authorities from mid-April to improve their roads.

But he said that a quarter of that figure would be held back until councils reported back on the progress they were making.  

They have until the end of June to say how much they are spending, how many potholes they have filled and what state their roads are in. Only councils deemed by the Department for Transport to be “delivering” will share the remaining £125 million held back by the government.

The government says the extra funding is enough to fill 7 million potholes. It brings the total yearly allocation for local roads maintenance to nearly £1.6 billion. 

“It’s great that this money is being available,” said YPO highways category buyer Charlie Holland. “It shows the government’s willingness to invest, although in reality £500 million is only a tiny amount of what is needed to repair the country’s roads.”

He said an Asphalt Industry Alliance ALARM report has estimated that it would cost a one-off £16.81 billion for local authorities to bring their roads up to “ideal” conditions - and the work would take 12 years to complete.

In the meantime, councils will be scrambling to make use of the DfT funding and begin their reporting before the end of June to make sure that they don’t miss out on their full share.

YPO can help them to rapidly start filling those potholes through its frameworks – contracts that allow them to start spending the money in a fully compliant way that abides by all regulations and can even allow them to bring the companies they usually work with on board.

YPO’s 772 Road Marking and Surfacing DPS and 1154 Civil Engineering Work and Services DPS Agreement are two dynamic purchasing systems that can help to smooth out the bumps on the road to getting the job done. 

“By using these agreements, councils will have an instant compliant route to market for their requirements, providing access to industry-leading suppliers,” said Charlie. 
“They are available to use right now. We can also support them with their tender documents and customers will benefit from the aggregated spend volume and increased leverage in the market, along with competition for requirements among suppliers. 

“Additionally, these agreements offer flexibility to respond to changes in the market and provide local suppliers, providers and SMEs the opportunity to prequalify and be awarded on to the DPS.”

Figures from the RAC show drivers encounter an average of six potholes per mile in England and Wales. The AA says fixing potholes is a priority for 96 per cent of drivers.  

For more information on YPO’s roads frameworks click here.