Last week (17 January 2025) the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published their report on the Condition and Maintenance of Local Roads in England.

In November 2024, CIHT submitted evidence to the Committee where we stressed how the stop-go approach to funding from the government for road maintenance in recent decades was making it difficult for highway authorities to maintain roads cost-effectively.

In our submission we recommended that the PAC review the impact of disjointed funding mechanisms, to consider local roads in the context of climate change and increasing extreme weather events, accessibility requirements, and road safety.

The PAC notes that the condition of local roads in England is worsening and calls on the Department for Transport (DfT) to avoid further deterioration and tackle the £15bn backlog of required works. The report builds on the National Audit Office’s publication The condition and maintenance of local roads in England published in July 2024, which suggested that a better understanding of local roads was needed, including use of data, to more effectively allocate funding.

CIHT is pleased to see that our recommendations have been recognised and accepted throughout the report.

In the report, the PAC highlights CIHT’s comment:

“longer-term funding settlement would improve effectiveness in the management and maintenance of local roads.”

This has been a consistent call from CIHT over the years, particularly since the publication of Improving Local Highways: The Route to a Better Future (2020). CIHT have consistently made the case for longer-term certainty of funding for local roads.

In our submission, CIHT highlighted the need for an up-to-date database for all key highway asset conditions across the country . CIHT would encourage means by which data can be collected and reported on, in such a way that does not place undue burden on local authorities, but gives confidence that funding is delivering.  

CIHT further highlighted the need to include adaptation and resilience as an immediate investment priority for the local road network, as well as all assets across the country. In ‘Delivering a resilient transport network, CIHT called for investment in maintenance of our existing highways and infrastructure to ensure the continued and efficient use of our transport network.

CIHT is pleased to see how these recommendations have been acknowledged in the PAC report, where a preventative approach to funding local authorities is recommended. This will ensure that funding allocation reflects the expected wear and tear of local roads and provides long-term certainty around the amount and duration of funding streams.

CIHT looks forward to engaging further with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and working to deliver better transport networks that work for all.

See the full report here and why not take part in a discussion over on CIHT Connect?