'Money does not go that far': Hampshire County Council's reaction as new pothole rating system result
Councils have placed the blame for the condition of the county’s roads on a significant funding shortage to deliver optimal maintenance.
Hampshire County Council and Southampton City Council received amber grades for road maintenance for the current year under the Department for Transport’s new rating system.
The grading is based on the condition of local roads, how much is being spent on maintaining them and how effectively best practice is followed.
Across England, 13 local authorities were rated red, 125 amber and 16 green. Portsmouth City Council was one of the 16 local highway authorities to receive a green rating.
Hampshire County Council, which maintains more than 5,500 miles of roads, said road maintenance was a top concern for residents.
A county council spokesperson said the authority had allocated £22.5million from reserves between 2023 and 2025 in response to the increase in potholes and other road defects.
The spokesperson said: “But there is a limit to how much local funding can be found, and our financial position means we now rely solely on the Government settlement for road maintenance programmes.
“While we welcome any funding increase and the commitment to longer-term clarity, rising costs and inflation mean that money does not go as far.
“We still face a significant funding shortfall of at least £500 million – what we believe is needed to bring roads up to a standard where we can move away from shorter-term repairs and fixes.”
The county said it will spend cash on where it is needed most.
They added: “That includes increased innovation and efficiency – for example, taking part in the Government’s Live Labs 2 trial to explore low carbon approaches.
“But without sustainable investment, challenges such as climate impacts on our network will remain.”
Southampton City Council leader Cllr Alex Winning said he welcomed the creation of a national picture of how well highway authorities were performing against their maintenance responsibilities.
The Labour politician said the council was committed to working with the government and partners to improve the condition of the network, adding that recent announcement of multi-year funding allocations would allow authorities to plan more effectively.