Conservatives launch national ‘Pothole Patrol’ to fix Britain’s broken roads

Today [Wednesday 1st April 2026], the Conservative Party have announced a major new plan to tackle the pothole epidemic and get Britain moving again.

Under the plan, a new National Pothole Patrol will be backed by £112.5 million to deploy hundreds of modern, specialist road-repair machines directly to councils, fixing potholes faster, at scale, and where they are worst. This will cost £225 million in total with our Golden Economic Rule where at least half of every pound we save will go towards cutting the deficit. This is funded by savings made from the government's communications contracts with external consultants.

It comes as Britain's roads reach breaking point under Labour. 12.8 million drivers suffered pothole damage last year, while the repair backlog has hit a record £18.6 billion.

The Conservatives will also introduce a single national reporting platform, replacing the current mess of local websites so drivers can report potholes quickly and repairs can be targeted where they are needed most.

This will end the current patchwork approach and deliver a coordinated national effort to repair Britain's roads properly.

Labour-run councils are among the worst performers, with many fixing less than 10 per cent of the roads needing repair. In Birmingham, just 1.5 miles out of 60 miles needing work were repaired in a year.

Conservative councils repair five times more length of road in 2023-24 than Labour authorities according to Department for Transport data.

For families already squeezed by rising costs, potholes mean unexpected repair bills they can't afford.

The Conservatives say enough is enough. Our Pothole Patrol will fix roads faster, save drivers money, and help get Britain working again.

Kemi Badenoch MP, Leader of the Conservative Party, said:

“Labour are waging a war on drivers with the first hike in fuel duty in 15 years and their inaction on potholes. The Conservatives understand the importance of vehicles to families and businesses, that's why we're prioritising the repair of our roads.

“Only the Conservatives are serious about delivering a stronger economy and a stronger country.”

Richard Holden MP, Shadow Transport Secretary, said:

“Drivers are in despair as roads across the country crumble. Labour's patchwork of excuses are leaving our roads crater-abundant, particularly if you are trapped on the pothole-ridden roads of a Labour-run local authority.

“Labour have lumped cost after cost onto drivers – the fuel duty rise, pay per mile, or new parking taxes – yet people see no improvement in the roads they rely on every day.

“The Conservative Party's Pothole Patrol will bring a national mission to fix Britain's broken roads, using the latest technology and coordination to get repairs done faster.”

ENDS 

Notes to Editors:

Britain's roads are in a state of disrepair:

• Independent research by KwikFit found that two thirds of drivers think the roads are getting worse, with 12.8 million reporting pothole damage in the past year. Polling by Opinium for KwikFit found the cost of repairing pothole damage has reached its highest ever level at £1.8 billion with 12.8 million drivers reporting pothole damage over the past year with an average repair bill of £137. Of those suffering pothole damage, one in eight had to be picked up by a tow truck because the damage was that bad (KwikFit, Press Release, 17 March 2026, link).

• The backlog of repairs to Britain's roads stands at £18.6 billion, the highest level on record. The Asphalt Industry Alliance's Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance survey found the cost of fixing Britains roads is £18.62 billion, the highest amount ever recorded (Asphalt Industry Alliance, Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey, 17 March 2026, link).

• Almost one in six, 16 per cent, local roads, equivalent to over 32,500 miles, is reported to have less than five years' structural life remaining (Asphalt Industry Alliance, Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey, 17 March 2026, link).

• Streets are now resurfaced on average once every 97 years, far beyond the recommended 10-20 year cycle. ‘The average frequency of resurfacing for all classes of local roads is once every 97 years, up from once every 93 years reported last year' (Asphalt Industry Alliance, Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey, 17 March 2026, link).

• Nearly half of the network has less than 15 years of structural life remaining, and one in ten miles will require maintenance within the next year. ‘Just over half (51%) of the local road network is now reported to be in good structural condition, with the remaining 49% stated to have less than 15 years' structural life remaining' (Asphalt Industry Alliance, Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey, 17 March 2026, link).

Labour-run councils are pothole-ridden:

• Potholes are more likely to be fixed by Conservative Councils than Labour councils. Conservative councils repair five times more length of road last year than Labour authorities according to Department for Transport data. The 50 Conservative local authorities in England fixed 68 miles of roads on average while the 78 Labour councils repaired just 14 miles worth of roads (The Telegraph, 19 January 2025, link).

• Labour-run councils are among the worst performers on pothole repairs, with 10 of the 16 authorities fixing less than 10 per cent of roads needing work under Labour control. In Birmingham, just 1.5 miles of 60 miles needing repair were fixed, 2.5 per cent, with similar low rates in St Helens, Islington, and Milton Keynes (Sun, 22 March 2026, link).

The Conservatives are fighting back with a new plan to repair our streets:

• We will get Britain moving again by fixing the potholes which are forcing drivers off the road by launching a National Potholes Taskforce. The Taskforce will be backed by £100 million to deploy hundreds of modern repair units that will use the most effective technology on the market. This will be paired with a single national pothole reporting platform, replacing fragmented local systems with a consistent, user-friendly service and real time national data. This will cost £225 million in total with our Golden Economic Rule where at least half of every pound we save will go towards cutting the deficit. This is funded by savings made from the government's communications contracts with external consultants.