Councils are set to face tougher scrutiny on how they fix roads and tackle potholes.
New government guidance, announced on June 9, requires local authorities to prioritise long-term repairs and publish detailed reports on their highways maintenance performance, with a focus on preventing repeat damage and favouring full resurfacing over temporary patchwork.
Councils that fail to publish their reports will have nearly a third of this year’s highways maintenance funding withheld.
Simon Lightwood, roads and buses minister, said: "For too long motorists have been left incensed by short-term work being prioritised over genuine long-term repairs.
"Thanks to our new guidance, that changes today.
"For the first time, not only will councils need to show just how many potholes they are filling in, but what they are doing to avoid going back to fix the same pothole time and again – something which understandably infuriates drivers."
The government has committed £7.3 billion in long-term funding to support these improvements.
Transparency reports will be published in September, allowing the public to see how effectively their local councils are managing road repairs and resurfacing.
The new guidance will be used to update the red/amber/green (RAG) ratings first published earlier this year to evaluate council performance.
Councils rated green have already demonstrated best practice through preventative maintenance and full resurfacing.
Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, said: "Aside from potholes themselves, there's nothing that annoys drivers more than ones that have been poorly repaired and become potholes again in a matter of weeks or months.
"Bad repairs are a waste of time and money, so it's positive the government is prioritising long-term fixes over short-term patching and dashing."
Should councils not follow the new guidance, or fail to publish their reports on time, almost a third of this year's funding could be withheld to ensure they are transparent with taxpayers.
