RSTA News
BUDGET EMERGENCY POTHOLE FUND NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE
The Chancellor’s announcement of a £100 million emergency fund to help councils repair the plague of potholes resulting from this year’s severe weather, although welcomed, is insufficient to make a real difference to the poor state of repair of many of our roads warns the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA).
The money is to be divided with £84 million going to councils in England and the remaining £16 million to go to authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. With 149 highway authorities in England, each council should receive an average of £564,000 although the actual amount will be based on the number and type of roads that the council is responsible for.
“The provision of £100 million is welcomed, particularly as there is increasing evidence that councils are taking money from their planned structural maintenance programmes to fund emergency repairs. However, it is a short-term fix,” said Howard Robinson, chief executive of the RSTA. “It is estimated that some £10 billion is required to repair our road network properly with long-term planned structural maintenance rather than emergency patch-and-mend.”
The cost of poorly maintained roads to the national economy and to pressurised local council budgets is considerable. It is estimated that Britain’s crumbling roads cost the national economy some £20 billion every year and cost councils an annual £53 million in insurance compensation claims.
“The problems resulting from the failure to carry out comprehensive and long-term planned structural maintenance have been underlined by this year’s winter. Well-maintained roads will perform better during extreme weather,” said Robinson.
