Councils across England could lose a portion of their road maintenance funding if they fail to address potholes quickly enough.

The penalties could come under new measures announced by the UK government.

Ministers want more power to ensure councils concentrate on tackling one of the most persistent complaints from drivers and voters.

What’s down there?

The Department for Transport (DfT) said the proposed pothole policy would link future funding allocations to performance.

This will require local authorities to show clear progress in identifying and repairing potholes.

Councils that fall short of expected standards could see money withheld or redirected to higher-performing areas, leaving elected council members directly accountable and facing the wrath of local residents if the situation continues to deteriorate.

The announcement has been accompanied by a formal consultation, giving councils, industry bodies and the public the opportunity to shape how the scheme will operate.

This consultation is expected to run for several weeks, with a final policy decision later in the year.

During this time, the government is seeking views on how performance should be measured, what thresholds should apply, and how funding adjustments would be calculated.

Hole in the bucket

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the aim was to ensure taxpayers received better value for money.

“Drivers are rightly frustrated by the number of potholes on our roads,” he said. “This approach will make sure councils focus on delivering results and maintaining roads properly, rather than relying on short-term fixes.”

Under the proposals, councils would need to publish regular data on road conditions, repair times and how maintenance budgets are spent.

This could include targets for fixing potholes within a set timeframe, as well as longer-term resurfacing plans designed to prevent defects from reappearing.

Fill it up

Motoring organisations have broadly welcomed the move.

A spokesperson for RAC said: “Linking funding to performance has the potential to improve standards, provided it is implemented fairly. Drivers want to see lasting repairs, not temporary patches that fail after a few weeks.”

However, local authorities have expressed concern that the policy could penalise councils already struggling with limited resources.

The Local Government Association warned that years of underinvestment have created a significant maintenance backlog.

This underinvestment is a national government failure, yet the new policy could see local government facing the anger of disgruntled motorists.

“Councils share the ambition to improve road quality,” a spokesperson said, “but withholding funding risks making the situation worse, particularly in areas facing the greatest challenges.”

Industry experts note that potholes are often caused by a combination of factors, including heavy traffic, ageing road surfaces and increasingly volatile weather patterns.

Freeze-thaw cycles in winter, in particular, can rapidly degrade road surfaces, making it difficult for councils to keep pace with repairs.

The consultation will also consider how external factors should be accounted for when assessing performance.

Some councils are expected to argue for flexibility in the criteria, so that unavoidable conditions do not unfairly affect funding decisions.

Fixing the state

According to the DfT, the policy is part of a broader effort to improve everyday infrastructure and rebuild public confidence in local services.

The government has emphasised that overall funding for road maintenance will remain in place, but distribution may shift depending on results.

Transport analysts suggest that while performance-based incentives could encourage more efficient use of resources, they are unlikely to solve the problem on their own.

Many believe sustained, long-term investment will still be required to address the scale of deterioration on local roads.

Wear and tear

For drivers, the proposed changes could lead to more consistent road conditions if councils respond by prioritising durable repairs and preventative maintenance.

For councils, the policy introduces a new layer of accountability at a time when budgets are already under pressure.

The outcome of the consultation will determine how strict the new system becomes and whether it strikes the right balance between enforcement and support.

As the government gathers feedback, the debate is likely to centre on a key question: whether the threat of losing funding will drive improvement, or deepen the challenges councils already face.