Title

WHITEHALL

MPs brand local roads 'national embarrassment'

MPs have called England’s local roads a ‘national embarrassment’ and accused the Department for Transport (DfT) of not taking its responsibility for the issue seriously enough.

Road works around the corner in the Yorkshire Dales (c) Andy Pritchard/Shutterstock

Road works around the corner in the Yorkshire Dales (c) Andy Pritchard/Shutterstock

MPs have called England's local roads a ‘national embarrassment' and accused the Department for Transport (DfT) of not taking its responsibility for the issue seriously enough.

A Public Accounts Committee (PAC) inquiry concluded that the DfT had insufficient knowledge of the state of local roads after the department said their condition was ‘stable' despite rising levels of pothole-related incidents in recent years, falling public satisfaction and industry estimates that the situation was worsening.

The PAC found the DfT did not know how councils spend the more than £1bn a year it provides for local roads maintenance and criticised its short-term approach to funding, which the department itself admitted was ‘not best value for money'.

It said providing funding on an annual basis was likely to have pushed councils to focus more on reactive repairs than preventative work.

WHITEHALL

Transforming procurement

By Karen Bradford | 18 August 2025

Karen Bradford looks at how to unlock the value of procurement as a strategic tool for local government.

WHITEHALL

Labour drops plans to introduce LTN restrictions

By Izzy Lepone | 18 August 2025

The Government has reportedly abandoned plans to impose limitations on Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) and speed-restricted zones.

WHITEHALL

Suffolk CC opposition: Maintain roads instead of splashing out on reorganisation publicity

By Dan Peters | 15 August 2025

Suffolk CC has spent around £100,000 of taxpayers’ money promoting a single county unitary to residents in the last two months, the council’s official opposi...

WHITEHALL

Fix the flawed children's funding formula

By Michael McVicker | 15 August 2025

Michael McVicker explains why the proposed children’s social care funding formula is unfit for purpose.

Popular articles by Ellie Ames