A recent study has highlighted a significant increase in pothole repairs on local roads across England and Wales, marking the highest activity in eight years. This financial year, it's estimated that around two million potholes will be addressed, a surge of 43% from the 1.4 million repairs conducted in the prior year. This figure represents the most considerable number of repairs since the 2015/16 period, which saw 2.2 million potholes filled.

The report also sheds light on the current state of local roads, with only 47% considered to be in good condition. Another 36% were deemed adequate, and 17% were classified as poor. Despite an average increase of 2.3% in highway maintenance budgets for the 2023/24 financial year, the cost to clear the backlog of needed road repairs has escalated to a record £16.3 billion, marking a 16% increase from last year's £14.0 billion.

On average, heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and vans incur repair costs of £575.74 and £246.87, respectively, adversely affecting the supply chain due to vehicle downtime. In response, the government announced in October 2023 an allocation of £8.3 billion over the next 11 years specifically for pothole repairs in England, reallocating funds from the halted HS2 project extension north of Birmingham as part of the Network North strategy.