UK
Ireland
Scotland
London
Construction News
28/03/2017
Nearly £12bn Needed To Bring UK's Roads 'Up To Scratch'
A new report has estimated nearly £12 billion is needed to bring the UK's roads "up to scratch".
The latest Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey states 17% of all local roads are in poor structural condition, with less than five years of life remaining.
In addition, the survey reveals £102.3 million was spent on filling over 1,748,000 potholes last year, with the majority being spent in England (£88.3m).
Local authority highways departments estimate it would cost £11.8bn and take 14 years to repair the UK's roads network.
Alan Mackenzie, Chairman of the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), said clearing the backlog of maintenance work "is impossible without a significant increase in funding".
"Prolonged under investment, coupled with wetter winters, increased traffic and an ageing network, means that the resilience of our local roads is at a low point," he said.
"The fact remains that our local road network receives only a fraction of the funding allocated to the Strategic Road Network (SRN) and this disparity needs to be tackled proactively if further decline is to be prevented.
"Reallocating a few pence from existing fuel duty might prove an equitable way of turning the tide, as could previous calls for Vehicle Excise Duty to be redirected to local roads from 2021. Either way, the LGA is right that time is running out and that local roads maintenance should now be a national priority."
(LM/CD)
The latest Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey states 17% of all local roads are in poor structural condition, with less than five years of life remaining.
In addition, the survey reveals £102.3 million was spent on filling over 1,748,000 potholes last year, with the majority being spent in England (£88.3m).
Local authority highways departments estimate it would cost £11.8bn and take 14 years to repair the UK's roads network.
-- Advertisement --
Alan Mackenzie, Chairman of the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), said clearing the backlog of maintenance work "is impossible without a significant increase in funding".
"Prolonged under investment, coupled with wetter winters, increased traffic and an ageing network, means that the resilience of our local roads is at a low point," he said.
"The fact remains that our local road network receives only a fraction of the funding allocated to the Strategic Road Network (SRN) and this disparity needs to be tackled proactively if further decline is to be prevented.
"Reallocating a few pence from existing fuel duty might prove an equitable way of turning the tide, as could previous calls for Vehicle Excise Duty to be redirected to local roads from 2021. Either way, the LGA is right that time is running out and that local roads maintenance should now be a national priority."
(LM/CD)
Latest Construction News
17/01/2025
Leeds Trinity University has officially opened its newly refurbished City Campus at 1 Trevelyan Square in Leeds.
Completed by GRAHAM Interior Fit-Out, the transformation of the central Leeds site introduces state-of-the-art facilities designed to improve learning and collaborate with industry partn
17/01/2025
Trammell Crow Company (TCC) has secured planning permission for a Grade A logistics scheme in Heywood, Greater Manchester, following a successful planning appeal.
The development will feature two state-of-the-art industrial and logistics buildings. One building will house two units measuring 4,796
17/01/2025
Poole-based developer AJC Group has celebrated a record-breaking 2024, delivering 100 affordable homes, a significant increase from the 72 units completed in the previous year.
Since 2023, AJC Group has completed and handed over 172 affordable homes across five sites.
In 2024 alone, the developer
17/01/2025
Plans for one of the most ambitious parks projects in London have taken a significant step forward, with Haringey Council securing nearly two additional acres of land around The Paddock nature reserve in Tottenham Hale.
The agreement with Thames Water marks a major milestone in the transformation o
17/01/2025
Islington Council has unveiled two draft guidance documents aimed at helping residents, businesses, and developers combat climate change by making buildings more energy efficient and fostering a greener, healthier borough.
The consultation seeks feedback on the draft Climate Action Supplementary Pl
17/01/2025
The City of Wolverhampton Council has unveiled a £98 million investment plan over the next five years to develop around 500 new homes across the city.
The proposal, part of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan, received Cabinet approval this week and now moves to Full Council for final
17/01/2025
Croydon Council has announced a significant milestone in the redevelopment of the Purley Pool site, with revised proposals submitted for a new leisure centre, later living housing, and the regeneration of the surrounding area.
A planning application for the site was initially submitted in 2024, pro
17/01/2025
The City of Wolverhampton Council has announced that demolition work has commenced on the New Park Village estate, marking the start of a major £40 million redevelopment project to transform outdated council housing.
Contractor DSM Demolition has begun pulling down poor-quality bungalows on Valley
17/01/2025
Hillingdon Council has acquired 12 new homes at Carpenters Court in Uxbridge.
Leader of Hillingdon Council, Cllr Ian Edwards and Cllr Steve Tuckwell, Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing and Growth, visited the site to officially mark the handover of the properties from local developer Kearns Devel
17/01/2025
Organisers of UK Construction Week (UKCW) have announced another major coup for the show's 10th anniversary year, with the news that UKCW London will be co-locating with the 14th edition of The Stone Show & Hard Surfaces, the principal industry event for surface design.
Established 26 years ago, th
