Recommendations & Conclusions
30 items
2
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
The Department has insufficient knowledge of the condition of local roads. Industry estimates show that the condition of local roads across England is getting worse, which is also reflected in falling public satisfaction and higher levels of pothole related incidents. However, while the Department’s own data shows the condition of …
Government response. The government agrees to engage with MHCLG to obtain necessary data, noting it has already begun engagement to make new PAS 2161 reporting requirements mandatory in England's single data list.
HM Treasury
3
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
The Department’s approach to funding is short-term and fragmented, hindering local authorities from planning more cost-effective work. In the last decade funding for local roads has become more complex, with the Department providing funding to local authorities via 12 different funding pots, each with differing eligibility criteria. It has largely …
Government response. The government agrees with the recommendation and is reviewing its approaches to evaluating spending and data gathering for local highway maintenance, committing to publish information on Gov.UK detailing how it will influence and monitor local highways maintenance once these reviews …
HM Treasury
5
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
The Department has not evaluated its approaches to funding local roads to know whether they are delivering value for money. Despite providing over £1 billion of funding each year to local authorities for the maintenance of local roads, the Department has not evaluated the totality of funding it has made …
Government response. The government agrees and commits to commissioning a feasibility study in 2025 to understand the evidence base for local roads funding evaluations. Following this, a monitoring and evaluation framework will be developed for operation in 2026 to generate regular reports …
HM Treasury
6
Recommendation
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
The Department has not provided enough support and guidance to local authorities to deal with current and future challenges in maintaining local roads. The Department is responsible for providing local authorities with guidance on the management and maintenance of local roads. However, it has not updated its guidance for several …
Government response. The government agrees and has commissioned TRL to develop a flexible structure for refreshed guidance, allowing individual sections to be updated independently to quickly integrate best practice. It will also establish a regular review rhythm for the guidance, provisionally every …
HM Treasury
1
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Transport (the Department) on the condition and maintenance of local roads in England.1
Government response. The government, treating this conclusion as a recommendation, commits to publishing a document on Gov.UK summarising legal responsibilities and expectations for highways maintenance. It will also set targets for local road condition in integrated settlement frameworks from 2025-26, extending to …
HM Treasury
7
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
We asked the Department what outcomes it was looking to achieve from the funding it provides to local authorities, which is over £1 billion each year. The Department told us that this was a live discussion with Ministers as part of the spending review and it would be looking to …
Government response. The government agrees and will publish a document clarifying responsibilities. It is also actively considering and working to use outcome frameworks to set clear expectations, including targets for road condition, and transport outcomes for local authorities.
HM Treasury
8
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
The Department acknowledged that setting out clearly who is accountable for local roads is very difficult, as it is a ‘mixed market’ of central and local government accountabilities. The Department told us that local authorities have the statutory responsibility to maintain local roads and that it only funds a part …
Government response. The government agrees that clarity on responsibilities is vital and will publish a document summarising legal responsibilities. It is also considering and working to use outcome frameworks to set clear expectations and transport outcomes for local authorities.
HM Treasury
10
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
However, the Department also acknowledged that there has been a deterioration in the condition of local roads over recent years, based on independent reports and people’s perceptions in using the roads.15 The Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) estimated that in 2023–24, less than half of roads (48%) were in a ‘good’ …
Government response. The government agrees with the committee's observation on the deterioration of local roads and is taking steps to gain a greater understanding of network condition. This includes engaging with MHCLG to make new PAS 2161 reporting requirements mandatory and exploring …
HM Treasury
11
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
The Department also expects the cost of dealing with the backlog in road maintenance to have increased since its last estimate in 2019 of between £7.6 billion and £11.7 billion. The Department told us that all the evidence suggested that the backlog would have become worse, given the severe weather …
Government response. The government agrees with the committee's observation about the increasing road maintenance backlog and is taking steps to gain a greater understanding of network condition. This includes engaging with MHCLG to make new PAS 2161 reporting requirements mandatory in England …
HM Treasury
12
Recommendation
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
We asked the Department why its data presented a different picture of local road conditions compared to the worsening conditions that independent analysis and user experience were showing. The Department acknowledged that its data is not good enough. For example, on unclassified roads or C roads, which account for 62% …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation to improve data on local road conditions, planning to collect additional data, make PAS 2161 reporting mandatory by Autumn 2025, and explore greater data-sharing through outcomes frameworks.
HM Treasury
13
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
The Department told us that it is looking to improve the quality of its data through the introduction of a new data standard — PAS 2161 — for local authorities to use in reporting the condition of local roads. The Department considers that the new standard will improve the granularity …
Government response. The government agrees with the committee's observation and is considering additional data collection, engaging to introduce PAS 2161 as a mandatory reporting requirement, and exploring how outcome frameworks can leverage greater data sharing.
HM Treasury
14
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
The Department confirmed that it had recently released the standard in September 2024 so that local authorities can use it from 2025–26 on a voluntary basis. The Department told us that it will not make its usage mandatory until the following year, 2026–27. This additional time is to allow 18 …
Government response. The government agrees with the committee's observation regarding the new standard and is considering what additional data to collect for local highway networks. They have begun engagement with MHCLG to make the new PAS 2161 reporting requirements mandatory in England.
HM Treasury
15
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
The Department told us that it will not be asking local authorities to provide a wider range of information as part of the new standard to avoid increasing the administrative burden on local authorities.25 The Department confirmed that it will continue to collect information only on the condition of the …
Government response. The government agrees with the committee's observation and plans to consider additional data needs, engage with MHLG to make PAS 2161 reporting mandatory, and explore greater data sharing through outcome frameworks.
HM Treasury
16
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
The Department told us that it has to strike the balance between asking for more information and the increased burden of work for each local authority to provide that information, and that there are limits placed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. It acknowledged, however, that many …
Government response. The government agrees with the committee's observation and is actively considering additional data needs, engaging with MHLG to make PAS 2161 reporting mandatory, and exploring data-sharing through outcomes frameworks.
HM Treasury
17
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
During the past decade, funding for local roads has become more complex, with the Department providing 12 different funding pots for road maintenance. Each type of funding has different eligibility criteria; eight of the 12 are based on road network length; three require local authorities to bid for money; and …
Government response. The government agrees with the committee's observation and intends to move to multi-year funding settlements and radically simplify funding by consolidating grants and local highways maintenance funding streams.
HM Treasury
18
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
We questioned the Department on the complexity of its current funding arrangements and how well they are currently working. The Department agreed that funding is not streamlined and acknowledged arguments for simplification, recognising that consolidating funding might allow local authorities to spend money more effectively.32
Government response. The government agrees with the committee's implicit recommendation for funding simplification and intends to move to multi-year funding settlements for local government. They also plan to consolidate local highways maintenance funding streams into a single line to provide greater certainty …
HM Treasury
19
Recommendation
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
The Department has largely provided its funding to most local authorities on an annual basis, instead of via longer-term settlements as in other areas of transport.33 For example, the strategic road network (motorways and some major A roads) is funded through one dedicated fund in five-year periods. Spending review settlements …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation to move to multi-year funding settlements for local authorities, with a target implementation by Summer 2025, and plans to simplify and consolidate local highways maintenance funding streams.
HM Treasury
20
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
We asked the Department when it will provide certainty over the number of years and amount of funding local authorities will receive. The Department told us that it would be a decision for HM Treasury and the Government during the next phase of the spending review to decide what time …
Government response. The government agrees with the committee's implicit recommendation for funding certainty and intends to move to multi-year funding settlements for local government. They also plan to consolidate local highways maintenance funding streams into a single line to provide greater certainty …
HM Treasury
21
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
Since 2020–21, the Department has provided local authorities with funding from the Potholes fund which, by the end of 2024–25, is expected to total £2.2 billion.38 Along with a further one off top up in 2023–24, specific pothole funding from the Department represented 40% of its capital funding to local …
Government response. The government agrees with the committee's implied recommendation regarding funding and plans to commission a feasibility study in 2025 to develop a robust monitoring and evaluation framework for local highways maintenance funding. The framework is expected to be operational in …
HM Treasury
22
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
However, potholes are just a symptom of poor road conditions and, as we heard, they are not necessarily being fixed properly or efficiently so money is just being wasted.41 For example, the AA told us that in its view too much is being spent on short-term reactive maintenance, including only …
Government response. The government accepted the implicit recommendation to address inefficient spending, planning a feasibility study in 2025 to develop a monitoring and evaluation framework for local highways maintenance funding, aiming for operation in 2026 and regular evaluation reports by Spring 2027.
HM Treasury
23
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
The Department acknowledged that the succession of short-term funding allocations may have driven local authorities to be more reactive.44 However, the Department believes that local authorities treat the funding from the Department as a single source and are not concerned about the specific funding pot the money came from.45 The …
Government response. The government agrees with the committee's observation and plans to commission a feasibility study in 2025 to develop a robust monitoring and evaluation framework for local highways maintenance funding. The framework is expected to be operational in 2026 to assess …
HM Treasury
28
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
The Department has evaluated only one of the 12 funding pots it has made available for local road maintenance over the last decade. The Department has also not evaluated the totality of the funding it has made available to local authorities for road maintenance, to assess whether it has led …
Government response. The government agrees and plans to commission a feasibility study in 2025 to inform a monitoring and evaluation framework for local highways maintenance funding, which will be developed in 2026 to generate regular evaluation reports.
HM Treasury
29
Recommendation
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
We asked the Department how it would know which funding mechanism was most effective without evaluation. The Department told us that it does not evaluate everything that it allocates to local authorities because it relies on them to exercise their statutory duties for local roads, and that local authorities do …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation, planning a feasibility study in 2025 to inform the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework for local highways maintenance funding, which will be operational in 2026 and generate regular evaluation reports.
HM Treasury
30
Conclusion
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
The Department also told us that, as part of developing a new incentive funding scheme for local authorities on local road maintenance, it will be looking at learning from the previous scheme.63 In that scheme, the Department had made more money available to those local authorities that self-assessed that they …
Government response. The government agrees with the committee's implied recommendation and will refresh the 'Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure' guidance. They are considering how local highway authorities might be required to comply with criteria in the revised guidance to …
HM Treasury
32
Recommendation
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
The Department is responsible for providing guidance to local authorities in England to help them run and maintain their road networks, but has not updated its guidance for several years.70 Such guidance has included good practice proactive maintenance to reduce the number of potholes, a Code of Practice on managing …
Government response. The government agrees to refresh the 'Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure' guidance, commissioning TRL to develop a scope for the updated guidance, which is estimated to take 12-18 months. They will also consider linking compliance with the …
HM Treasury
33
Recommendation
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
The Department told us that Ministers are considering a review of the Code of Practice as it considers there to be value in doing so, even though it will be major task to update the more than 260-page document. The Department acknowledged that there are gaps in the current Code …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation to refresh the Code of Practice by September 2026, commissioning TRL to develop a scope for updated guidance, including environmental matters and potential compliance requirements for local authorities.
HM Treasury
34
Recommendation
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
We questioned the Department on other challenges that local authorities are facing where updated guidance from the Department would be helpful. On active travel the Government has set a target of 50% of all short journeys being made by walking or cycling by 2030. The Department acknowledged that poor-quality infrastructure …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation to refresh the Code of Practice by September 2026, commissioning TRL to develop a scope for updated guidance, which will include addressing gaps such as active travel infrastructure and road safety.
HM Treasury
35
Recommendation
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
We asked the Department about the impact of heavier electric vehicles on road infrastructure. The Department told us that main roads are built to withstand a maximum vehicle weight (gross vehicle weight) of 44 tonnes, and although unclassified roads are built to a wide range of differing standards, the impact …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation to refresh the Code of Practice by September 2026, commissioning TRL to scope updated guidance that will implicitly consider the impact of heavier electric vehicles on road infrastructure.
HM Treasury
36
Recommendation
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
We also asked the Department about the condition local roads would need to be in to support the introduction of autonomous vehicles from 2026. The Department recognised that there will be challenges. For example, one of the semi-autonomous technologies, already licensed for use on the strategic road network, require road …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation to refresh the Code of Practice by September 2026, commissioning TRL to scope updated guidance that will consider the challenges posed by autonomous vehicles and the required road infrastructure standards.
HM Treasury
37
Recommendation
2nd Report - Condition and maintenance …
Accepted
However, the Department also set out that autonomous vehicle technology would need to be capable of safely operating using existing highway infrastructure and so does not expect to make any immediate changes to road maintenance practices. The Department told us that government 75 Qq 21, 27, 93; C&AG’s Report, Figure …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation to refresh the Code of Practice by September 2026, commissioning TRL to scope updated guidance that will consider the implications of autonomous vehicle technology and future statutory guidance on road maintenance practices.
HM Treasury