Recommendation 10

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’ structural condition, the lowest proportion since this measurement was first included in the survey in 2015–16.16 The AA also reported that in 2023 its patrols attended more than 631,000 pothole related breakdowns, a five-year high, and that the scale of damage to vehicles by potholes has grown.17 As a reflection of this deterioration in 11 Qq 42-43 12 Qq 27-30 13 Q 46 14 Q 6; C&AG’s Report, Figure 5 15 Qq 6, 22 16 C&AG’s Report, Figure 6; LRE0009, written evidence submitted by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) 17 C&AG’s Report, Figure 6; LRE0004, written evidence submitted by The AA 10 road conditions, an annual survey of road users by the National Highways & Transport Network, covering around 75% of local authorities, reported in 2023 that public satisfaction with road conditions was declining.18