The government has told councils they must publish data on how many potholes they have fixed, or risk losing funding.

From mid-April, local authorities in England will start to receive their share of the government’s £1.6bn highway maintenance funding, including an extra £500m - enough to fill seven million potholes a year.

But to get the full amount, all councils in England must from today - 24 March - publish annual progress reports. Local authorities who fail to meet these strict conditions will see 25% of the uplift (£125m in total) withheld.

The news comes at the transport secretary today unveiled a funding package of £4.8bn for 2025 to 2026 for National Highways to deliver critical road schemes and maintain motorways and major A-roads.

The government said the funding means “pivotal” schemes in construction can make progress - such as the A428 Black Cat scheme in Cambridgeshire, and starting vital improvements to the A47 around Norwich and M3 J9 scheme in Hampshire.

It comes as figures from the RAC show drivers encounter an average of six potholes per mile in England and Wales, and pothole damage to cars costs an average of £600 to fix. According to the AA, fixing potholes is a priority for 96% of drivers.

Prime minister, Keir Starmer, said: “The broken roads we inherited are not only risking lives but also cost working families, drivers and businesses hundreds – if not thousands of pounds – in avoidable vehicle repairs.

“Fixing the basic infrastructure this country relies on is central to delivering national renewal, improving living standards and securing Britain’s future through our Plan for Change.

“Not only are we investing an additional £4.8bn to deliver vital road schemes and maintain major roads across the country to get Britain moving, next month we start handing councils a record £1.6bn to repair roads and fill millions of potholes across the country.

“British people are bored of seeing their politicians aimlessly pointing at potholes with no real plan to fix them. That ends with us. We’ve done our part by handing councils the cash and certainty they need – now it’s up to them to get on with the job, put that money to use and prove they’re delivering for their communities.”

To ensure councils are taking action, they must now publish reports on their websites by 30 June 2025, detailing how much they are spending, how many potholes they have filled, what percentage of their roads are in what condition and how they are minimising streetworks disruption.

They will also be required to show how they are spending more on long-term preventative maintenance programmes and that they have robust plans for the wetter winters the country is experiencing – making potholes worse.

By the end of October, councils must also show they are ensuring communities have their say on what work they should be doing, and where. The public can also help battle back against pothole ridden roads by reporting them to their local council, via a dedicated online portal.

The government says the £4.8bn for National Highways will protect the country’s strategic road network.

It includes a record £1.3bn investment to keep this vital network in good repair, so the network remains fit for the future, and £1.8bn for National Highways’ daily operation as well as £1.3bn for essential improvement schemes to unlock growth and housing.   

National Highways chief executive, Nick Harris, said: “We welcome today’s announcement.

“This interim settlement allows us to continue connecting the country safely and reliably. Our motorways and A roads are vital for economic growth, connecting cities and regions, supporting businesses, and enabling new housing and infrastructure projects.

“We will soon publish our interim period delivery plan, outlining our priorities and how we will meet the targets set out by the government.”