Gloucestershire tops England’s road repairs league

The DfT’s latest highways performance map compares every local highway authority using three measures – the condition of roads, how much councils invest in maintaining them, and how effectively they follow best practice to prevent and repair potholes. Authorities are given a red, amber or green rating, with Gloucestershire emerging top of the table with a green score. 

The ranking reflects sustained improvement and investment delivering an increase in resurfacing, greater use of modern repair technologies and a shift towards faster, more permanent pothole repairs across the county’s road network. 

Despite the top national rating, Gloucestershire County Council acknowledges that many residents are still frustrated by the state of some local roads after years of under-investment from Government and the impact of severe weather. 

Over the past year the council has accelerated its resurfacing and maintenance programme, targeting the worst-affected roads first and increasing the pace and volume of permanent repairs. Investment in better materials, improved inspections and more responsive repair teams is now focused on delivering longer-lasting fixes rather than repeat patch-ups. 

The council is also proposing a £15million uplift in the council’s highways budget over the next 3 years. 

Cllr Joe Harris, Cabinet Member for Highways at Gloucestershire County Council, said “The council is committed to fixing our roads and it’s encouraging to see our work recognised nationally. I want to thank our highways teams for the huge effort that has gone into getting us to this point. 

“But people don’t care about league tables when they hit a pothole – they care about whether their road is being fixed and there are still far too many roads that fall below the standard we’d expect. That’s exactly what we are focused on now. This is just one milestone on a longer journey to fix our roads and deliver visible, lasting improvements across Gloucestershire.” 

The council will continue to publish road condition data, update residents on where work is taking place and expand its resurfacing and repair programme as part of its commitment to improving Gloucestershire’s highways. 

Residents can report potholes and track repairs through Fix My Street or find out what work is planned in their area at gloucestershire.gov.uk/highways.