Rebecca Paul MP raised concerns about the state of the highway network during the most recent Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing held on November 21st questioning senior Department for Transport (DfT) officials on funding allocation for road maintenance, the mounting backlog of road repair and the need to prepare for emerging technologies such as electric and autonomous vehicles. Drawing on her dual roles as a parliamentarian and a Surrey County Councillor, Rebecca Paul MP pressed for systemic reforms to deliver fairer funding and future-proofed infrastructure.
During the session, Rebecca questioned Dame Bernadette Kelly DCB, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Transport; Dave Buttery, Director of Roads Strategy; and Rupert Furness, Deputy Director of Local Highways and Active Travel, on a range of critical issues affecting road maintenance and upkeep in England.
Rebecca was particularly keen to draw attention to the current funding model for local road networks – and challenged the witnesses as to why traffic volume is not even a consideration in the formula currently used for allocating such funding. Rebecca observed that counties like Surrey – home to the fifth busiest road networks in England, connecting London, major airports, and the south coast – do not receive funding proportional to the wear and tear caused by very heavy traffic volume. Rebecca urged the witnesses to reappraise the department’s approach to this issue and noted that the existing formula ‘clearly isn’t working’.
Rebecca went on to highlight the growing road maintenance backlog, which has ballooned from £9 billion in 2019 to an estimated £15.6 billion in 2024. She pressed Dame Bernadette Kelly on the decline in annual road maintenance, with the proportion of local roads being resurfaced having halved since 2017. Rebecca argued that short-term fixes, such as pothole repairs, are often prioritised at the expense of long-term preventative maintenance. She called upon the Department for Transport to adopt a more strategic approach to ensure road repairs are undertaken at the right time to improve durability and reduce costs over the long term.
The witnesses were next questioned by Rebecca on the underutilisation of potentially billions of pounds held in Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) reserves by local authorities. These funds, intended to support local infrastructure, have the potential to play a transformative role in addressing the road repair backlog and ensuring the upkeep of England’s roads into the future. The witnesses indicated that they were unaware of and had not looked at the potential of utilising CIL for road maintenance and at Rebecca’s urging undertook to investigate the suggestion.
Speaking after the hearing, Rebecca Paul MP said:
"It is maddening that significant amounts of Community Infrastructure Levy funds are sitting unused while England’s roads fall into greater disrepair every year. These funds could be a key part of addressing the backlog and ensuring that our infrastructure is fit for purpose. I challenged Department for Transport officials to look at what they can do to encourage the utilisation of this funding for road resurfacing.”
Rebecca also addressed the resilience of the UK’s road network in the face of climate change. Increased flooding and water ingress, exacerbated by changing weather patterns, undermine road integrity and drive up maintenance costs. She asked Dame Bernadette Kelly what the DfT is doing to help local authorities make their roads more resilient to these challenges.
Rebecca concluded her questioning by raising concern as to the UK’s readiness for electric and autonomous vehicles, particularly given their impact on infrastructure. It is well known that Electric Vehicles, with their greater weight, place additional stress on road surfaces, while autonomous vehicles will require specific adaptations to road markings and signage. Rebecca urged officials not to underestimate the challenge of maintaining an already pothole riddled road network that will soon be bearing the additional burden of many heavy Electric Vehicles.
Speaking after the meeting concluded, Rebecca commented:
"As an MP but also as a long serving Surrey County Councillor, I see first-hand the daily frustrations caused by poor road maintenance. The current system is failing both local authorities and road users, with a growing backlog of repairs, underutilised funding, and a lack of readiness for the future. We need fairer road funding based on traffic volumes, smarter use of resources like the Community Infrastructure Levy - and a long-term approach to maintenance and modernisation.”
She went on to say:
“Potholes are symptomatic of the road not being resurfaced at the right time. Spending millions on pothole repairs isn’t going to address the underlying issue. It’s vital we change our approach and maximise value for money by undertaking more road resurfacing at the right time”.
The Public Accounts Committee is expected to publish a report on the matter in the coming weeks.
