Councils face pressure under new transparent pothole repair rules
Councils will be forced to publish detailed road repair data under new government rules, but riders may question whether transparency translates to smoother Tarmac.
Councils across England are being told to stop “patch and pray” pothole repairs and start proving, in public, whether they are actually fixing roads properly or simply returning to the same craters year after year.
New government guidance, issued June 9 2026, will require local authorities to publish detailed transparency reports on the condition of their roads, how often they return to repair the same sections, and whether they are investing in full resurfacing rather than short-term fixes.
The move is being sold as a step-change in accountability, but for riders who’ve spent years navigating dangerously broken roads, it will feel like a long-overdue admission that the system has been broken for years.
The carrot, which is hoped to ensure that accurate repairs and defects are reported, is a threat that, should councils not stick to the rules, they could lose nearly a third of their highways maintenance funding. That funding pot sits at a record £7.3 billion, but access to it will now depend on whether authorities can demonstrate what the government calls “future-proof” road maintenance.
The new reporting requirements will feed into updated red/amber/green ratings, first introduced earlier this year. Councils judged “green” are those already shifting towards preventative resurfacing programmes rather than reactive patching. This whack-a-mole approach to repairs is what government and transport experts claim is the cause of potholes recurring in the same location.
Roads and Buses Minister Simon Lightwood said the era of repeated temporary fixes was “infuriating drivers” and insisted the changes would finally deliver smoother, safer journeys.
There is also a wider pressure point behind the announcement. Councils already struggling with stretched budgets will now be judged not just on what they fix, but how transparently they report failure. There is also additional support on offer to those councils rated red, including £300,000 of “expert help” to improve standards.
Speaking about the new rules, RAC Head of Policy, Simon Williams, said:
“Aside from potholes themselves, there’s nothing that annoys drivers more than ones that have been poorly repaired and become potholes again in a matter of weeks or months. Bad repairs are a waste of time and money, so it’s positive the government is prioritising long-term fixes over short-term patching and dashing.
“Potholes need to be fixed promptly and permanently as they are a serious road safety danger to those on 2 wheels, along with causing expensive damage to vehicles. The poor state of Britain’s roads is drivers’ biggest gripe, so it’s good to see a new approach being taken. Fixing potholes once and carrying out preventative maintenance that stops them forming in the first place is a big step towards improving our roads for the future.”
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
