Three councils failed to fill in a single pothole or resurface any of their roads last year, according to data analysed by the RAC.
Labour-run Blackpool Unitary Authority and Tameside Council, along with the Tory-run London Borough of Bexley, did not resurface or maintain a single mile of road in the 2023/24 financial year.
The car insurer also found that just three per cent of England’s local road network received any form of maintenance in the 2023/24 financial year.
This represents only 4,894 miles out of the total 183,054 miles of council-run roads.
Just three per cent of England’s local road network received any form of maintenance in the 2023/24 financial year
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More than a third (36 per cent) of England’s 152 councils did not complete any preservation work to prevent potholes forming on B, C and unclassified roads.
The RAC said its findings showed that local authorities are “in a cycle of merely filling potholes rather than looking after their roads properly”.
While the 4,894 miles maintained represents a 750-mile increase from the previous year, it remains 4,894 miles below the figure for 2017/18.
Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, said: “Only a slither of England’s total road network is getting any maintenance attention whatsoever.”
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“The bigger picture is far more concerning because it still shows a significant decline in the proportion of our roads strengthened, resurfaced or preserved compared to six years ago.”
The cost of bringing pothole-plagued local roads in England and Wales up to scratch has been estimated at a record £16.8billion.
Total local road maintenance funding for England provided by the Government in the 2025/26 financial year will be nearly £1.6bn.
This represents a £500million uplift compared with the previous 12 months.
Total local road maintenance funding for England provided by the Government in the 2025/26 financial year will be nearly £1.6bn
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A quarter of the increased funding is being held back until authorities have demonstrated they are using it well.
Adam Hug, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: “Greater long-term funding certainty for local highways authorities, with five yearly funding allocations on a par with National Highways, is needed to tackle the multibillion-pound local roads backlog.
“This will enable councils to far more effectively plan for and invest in preventative treatments, which keep surfaces in better condition for longer.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said they want councils to tackle potholes in “the most cost-efficient way” which is why they are awarding “multi-year funding settlements”.
“The public deserves to know how their councils are improving their local roads, which is why they will have to show progress or risk losing a quarter of the £500 million funding boost,” the Department for Transport added.
Common vehicle problems caused by potholes include damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels.
Williams urged local authorities to “focus on permanent solutions rather than trying to patch pothole-ridden roads that are beyond saving.”
