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

With change comes opportunity

By Mae Wilson | 30 July 2025

As local government reorganisation begins to take shape, Mae Wilson and Gemma Stevenson-Coupe say this is a chance to transform your approach to the workforc...

WHITEHALL

Action and aspiration

By Jess McGregor | 30 July 2025

The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services’ Spring Survey has highlighted the need for a long-term funding strategy that ensures councils can cont...

WHITEHALL

Triangulating data

By Kari Gerstheimer | 30 July 2025

A collaboration between a charity that supports people to access their legal rights to social care and Gloucestershire CC is highlighting systemic issues and...

WHITEHALL

Talking Total Place

By Helen Bailey | 30 July 2025

Helen Bailey reflects on the first iteration of Total Place, and says it is in the cracks between government policies and funding streams that the creativity...

Popular articles by Ellie Ames