More than 1,100 miles of South West roads set for resurfacing amid £600m investment

Councils across the region are expected to spend a combined £600 million on maintaining roads, an increase of £125 million compared with the amount spent before the current Government came to power. The resurfacing total is more than 10 per cent higher than last year and is equivalent to almost the distance between Plymouth and Reykjavík in Iceland.

The Government says the investment is intended to improve road conditions, reduce the number of potholes and help motorists avoid expensive vehicle repairs. The figures come as a further £220 million in incentive-based funding is being released to councils across England. The money is linked to performance targets, with further funding due later in the year depending on whether councils meet the required standards. Funding can be withheld if targets are missed.

The latest announcement forms part of a wider £7.3 billion Government commitment to road maintenance, which ministers say will help communities affected by deteriorating road surfaces and reduce the financial burden on drivers.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “For too long potholes have been a point of national embarrassment forcing hard-working people from Cheltenham to Truro to fork out for repairs and posing a danger to all road users. But today’s figures show that we are starting to turn a corner.

“While we know there is much more to do, our record funding, combined with tough new rules holding councils to account, mean that drivers are making safer, smoother journeys while giving people roads they can rely on."

The Government's figures suggest councils are increasingly concentrating on preventative maintenance, rather than repeatedly repairing the same damaged sections of road after potholes have developed. Nearly every council in the South West is expected to carry out preventative roadworks this year. Last year, 76 per cent of councils undertook this type of work. Preventative treatments can help protect road surfaces before they deteriorate, potentially reducing the need for more expensive repairs later.

The Government says increased funding, clearer expectations and closer monitoring are encouraging councils to take a longer-term approach to road maintenance. Separate figures published last week also indicated that local road conditions improved across England in the year to March 2026, with a reduction in the proportion of minor roads requiring maintenance following work carried out during the previous year.

However, the scale of the challenge remains significant, with potholes continuing to cause problems for motorists travelling to work, taking children to school and attending appointments.

The RAC welcomed the figures, highlighting the importance of treating roads before potholes appear.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “This data is encouraging. It's good to see so many miles of road being resurfaced, but it's also positive that the preventative maintenance message has got through as we've long argued that councils need to take steps to stop potholes appearing in the first place, and not just patch them up. Surface dressing, if done properly, is a very cost effective way of improving more roads for the long term.

“The proof, of course, will be in whether drivers and other road users notice the difference. Getting the country's roads up to a decent standard, and keeping them there, isn’t an overnight job. But at least we’re now on the right track."