RAC reaction to road maintenance funding announcement in Spending Review 2025

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “Giving councils the certainty of longer-term funding to fix their roads is something we've called for many years, so this is excellent news. Local authorities now have a golden opportunity to end the cycle of merely filling potholes and instead begin to be much more proactive in their maintenance. This must include both more surface dressing to keep decent roads in good condition and resurfacing those that are at the end of their lives. It's incumbent on councils to grasp this new opportunity and show all road users how it's making a genuine difference in the quality of the roads they use every day."

Spending Review commitment

The government will deliver notable improvements to people's everyday travel, improving commutes, school drop-offs and journeys into town, by: 

Providing £24.0 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve motorways and local roads across the country. This funding increase will allow National Highways and Local Authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England's road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys.