LGA responds to AA research into pothole insurance claims

“Councils are fixing a pothole every 21 seconds and keeping roads safe is one of the most important jobs we do.

“However, only long-term, consistent and fairer government investment in local road maintenance can allow councils to embark on the widespread improvement of our roads that is desperately needed. Spending 52 times more on maintaining our national roads when very few journeys begin and end on a motorway or trunk road will only serve to speed vehicles up between increased delays and congestion on local roads.

“The LGA has been calling on the Government to annually reinvest a portion of existing fuel duty into local road maintenance which would generate much needed funding for councils to spend on improving roads and filling potholes and begin addressing the £9.31 billion roads repair backlog.

“In the short term, councils are likely to need more support from the Government as the full extent of the repairs needed after the recent winter weather has been made known, and we hope that the Government will stand ready to provide this.”