Recent data released by the Department of transport shows that nearly 1/3 of all B and C roads located in England are in need of repair and maintenance. The information comes after an analysis by the AA and showcases exactly how poorly some of the roads are being kept.
The area with the most affected roads was Derbyshire council. Nearly 25% of all roads in the B and C categories in the area required repair. Other notable areas that require extensive repair include Southend on Sea, which has roughly 18% of all roads, requiring repair, and Derby in Shropshire, which is tied for third place together, with 13% of all roads requiring repair.
It’s thought that these unclassified roads make up approximately ⅗ of all the roads that are maintained by councils, but it is also frequently reported that they are the most overlooked at the same time. A recent analysis from the AA has found that of these unclassified roads, 15% are in the worst category possible for physical conditions and are in dire need of repair and maintenance.
Jack Cousens, the Head of Roads Policy for the AA, has spoken out on the incident, saying that “our local roads cannot take another round of cuts”. It is clear that whatever strategy is currently in place by the local government is ineffective at this point.
It is also thought that 50% of all unclassified roads in the Fulham and Hammersmith areas are also in need of repairs, with more than ⅓ of all roads in the Wolverhampton and Bury area also needing urgent resurfacing.
All the data available on the subject came soon after the announcement made by the Chancellor and Prime Minister that their fiscal statement was due soon. At the time, there were a lot of rumours about the public spending cuts that had recently taken place.
The AA themselves went on record warning the government that slashing the funding for road maintenance was something that would be done to the detriment of all parties, as these roads were needed for safe and normal travel.
Speaking once again on the subject, Jack Cousens had this to say:
“Roads across the country are in an awful state and with winter just around the corner, the plague of potholes will only spread.
“Local roads are at great risk of becoming dangerous and need significant investment to make them safe. Smooth roads also encourage people to cycle more which would help reach our Net Zero targets.
“Our local roads cannot take another round of cuts. The Prime Minister and Chancellor should avoid slashing local road investment later this month.”
Critical support is needed for the many roads that are used all the time in the UK, but it seems like not a lot is prepared to be done on the subject, which will only further the issues faced for drivers everywhere.