One in six roads across England and Wales is in such a bad state it must be repaired within the next five years, according to local authorities.

The Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance survey (ALARM) found that 17% of roads were in “poor” condition.

The government is planning to invest £1.2bn in roads this year, which includes repair and maintenance.
But authorities say it will take an average of 12 years and £12bn to bring the local network “up to scratch”.

Weston-super-Mare Central Ward Councillor Mike Bell said: “It is becoming increasingly urgent to address the roads crisis we face. Our roads are deteriorating at a faster rate than can be repaired and it would take more than £12bn and be 2030 before we could bring them up to scratch and clear the current roads repair backlog.”

Local councillors Mike Bell and Robert Payne are asking people to report local potholes in the roads and pavements to them so that they can press the council to act. Let us know here if you want to highlight a problem area.