The Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA) has welcomed the Government’s commitment to longer-term road maintenance by committing a total of £24 billion from 2026/7-2029/30 for local and national road maintenance.
For a long time, the RSTA has called for more preventative maintenance to be adopted to stop more and more roads falling into poor condition and to help stop potholes from forming.
Reacting to the Spending Review, Mike Hansford, Chief Executive of the RSTA said:
“Even though, at the time of writing, we are still unsure how much of that £24 billion will go to local roads and how much will go to National Highways, it is good to see a four-year settlement. This will enable local highway authorities to plan their maintenance strategies, identify forward programmes of work, and award contracts for timely planning of works . And in doing so, be able to be more proactive with their repairs including use of sustainable surface treatments to help solve the problem of potholes forming in the future, as well as stopping good roads falling into poor condition and therefore negating
the need for more expensive repairs.”
He added: “The announcement means that local authorities have the ability to plan more effectively over a four-year period, and can finally negotiate the challenges of balancing reactive and proactive repairs. We can’t address the maintenance backlog, but as an industry, we can invest more wisely into preventative maintenance, preventing roads from falling into poor condition, and into alternative cost effective, permanent repair solutions to failing and end of life roads.”
Significantly higher levels of network coverage can be achieved using surface treatments, and this approach will deliver longer term cashable savings in reduced pothole repairs, third party insurance costs, whilst also delivering on reduced carbon.
In reality, the best investment will come from a balance of preventative treatments and end of life replacement. Identifying the right treatment, at the right place, at the right time, is critical, said the association.
The RSTA supports local authorities wishing to get a better understanding of these treatments, ahead of making any decisions about their use. If you need advice on this, contact the RSTA at: [email protected].
(Pic: J Hopkins)
