Drivers in the UK’s capital are less likely to encounter a pothole after it was revealed that London’s roads get more spent on them than the rest of the country.
New research from the County Councils Network (CCN) has found that some areas of London receive three times more money than councils elsewhere in the country with an average of £62,350 per mile compared to the regions which in some cases only have £20,885 to spend.
Road repair budgets for London’s councils are far higher than even some of the UK’s other big cities including Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.
This disparity in spending comes at a time when London’s streets are considered to be inbrtter condition than the rest of the nation with only 8 per cent of the capital’s road network being deemed in need of repair, compared with 9 per cent around the rest of the UK’s road network.
Stephen Giles-Medhurst, CCN’s transport spokesperson and Hertfordshire County Council councillor, said: “Today’s analysis shows that there are huge disparities in what the regions receive for roads, pothole filling, and anti-congestion measures compared to London and the major cities.
“With over 11,000 miles in county areas identified as requiring repairs, the government should back up its rhetoric in ‘levelling up’ the country and distribute a fairer share of funding for roads in rural areas in its upcoming funding announcements.”
Regions |
Total Expenditure |
Total Miles |
Total Per Mile Expenditure |
East Midlands |
£408.59m |
19,205 |
£21,276 |
North East |
£222.17m |
9,917 |
£22,403 |
South West |
£697.25m |
29,607 |
£23,550 |
East |
£658.75m |
24,199 |
£27,222 |
South East |
£844.06m |
29,146 |
£28,959 |
Yorkshire & Humber |
£603.89m |
19,454 |
£31,042 |
North West |
£761.34m |
22,545 |
£33,770 |
West Midlands |
£684.08m |
20,091 |
£34,049 |
London |
£569.1m |
9,128 |
£62,350 |