Transport Insights

An MP has asked ministers a great question about their claims that new guidance on highway maintenance will make a tangible difference to the number of potholes and the like on the English local authority road network.

It goes back to the Department for Transport press release on How well does your council fix potholes? which I wrote about here, particularly the mixed messaging between long-term preventative maintenance or (not just fixing potholes) and “fixing potholes”.

James McMurdock, the Independent MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, asked the Secretary of State for Transport:

with reference to her Department’s press release entitled How well does your council fix potholes? Tough new guidance for councils will end patch-up fixes and lead to smoother, safer journeys, published on 9 June 2026, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the new guidance on the number of pothole-related defects.

You would imagine a claim as definitive as that the guidance “will end patch-up fixes” would be based on something.

Obviously, roads minster Simon Lightwood doesn’t feel the need to back this sort of thing with an actual assessment:

The Department’s updated guidance strengthens transparency and accountability in how local highway authorities maintain their road networks. All highway authorities will have to publish reports on how they maintain their network, including how many potholes they fill, whether they do so using long-lasting repair methods, and what action they are taking to prevent potholes from forming in the first place.

This increased transparency is designed to encourage better decision making, driving a shift from short term, reactive repairs towards more effective, long term maintenance approaches, including a greater adoption of long-lasting repairs and preventative maintenance to prevent potholes from forming in the first place.

The information provided will also be used by the Department to inform performance ratings and decisions on highways maintenance incentive funding, supporting continuous improvement across the sector and better outcomes for road users.

Instead, we get stronger transparency and accountability, designed to encourage better decision making, and supporting continuous improvement and better outcomes.