Three million holes blight roads

Drivers in England and Wales have to navigate more than three million holes in local authority roads, a report claims.

The Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) found that while roads suffer from about one million potholes, there are a further 2.5 million road openings made during streetworks by utility companies.

The report also said there is a shortfall of more than £1bn in highway maintenance budgets and an 11-year backlog of maintenance work.

Some roads faced a 65-year wait for resurfacing, while local authorities estimated they are receiving only half the budget they needed to keep their roads in reasonable condition, according to the study.

The AIA statistics included figures showing there are an average of 4,268 potholes per local authority in north-west England in 2006/07. The report said that £53m was paid out in compensation claims for damage to vehicles or road traffic accidents due to road structural conditions across England and Wales in 2006/07.

AIA chairman Jim Crick said: "After several years of reporting a bleak picture I would like to be making a positive statement about an improving situation.

"Despite some increase in central Government funding over recent years, it seems that highways maintenance is still suffering from historically being treated as the Cinderella service."

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