Government issues “tough” new reporting requirements on road repairs

The rules will encourage full road resurfacing, prevent potholes and contribute towards an end to short-term “patch fixes”, the Department for Transport said.

The transparency reports are required to be published in September 2026, giving the public insight into how well their council is maintaining roads and which areas are due for resurfacing.

The DfT said councils which do not follow this new guidance, or fail to publish their reports on time, will have almost a third of this year’s funding held back to ensure they are transparent with taxpayers.

The new guidance will be used to update the red/amber/green (RAG) ratings first published by the Government earlier this year, showing what progress councils have made.

Green rated local authorities were able to demonstrate they are following best practice, such as investing in long-term pothole prevention and full road resurfacing rather than just patching up potholes.

All red-rated councils are receiving additional support from the Government, including a total of £300,000 worth of expert help to help councils raise their standards and fix more roads.

Roads and Buses Minister Simon Lightwood said: “For too long motorists have been left incensed by short-term work being prioritised over genuine long-term repairs. Thanks to our new guidance, that changes today.

“For the first time not only will councils need to show just how many potholes they are filling in, but what they are doing to avoid going back to fix the same pothole time and again - something which understandably infuriates drivers.

“This is backed by a record £7.3 billion investment to help councils deliver the long-term road repairs motorists deserve.”

Harry Rodd