Coventry City Council is a member of the West Midlands Combined Authority. Between 2010/11 and 2017/18 the Department for Transport provided the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) with over £386 million to upgrade and improve local highways within the West Midlands area. It has been for the WMCA to distribute this funding to its constituent members such as Coventry City Council.

The Department for Transport has also directly allocated Coventry City Council over £10 million to upgrade and improve local highways within the City between 2010/11 and 2017/18, in addition to funding for roads which fall within the strategic road network and are managed by Highways England.

In England, outside London, between 2010/11 and 2014/15 the Department for Transport provided local highway authorities with £4.7 billion for highway maintenance. In 2015 the Department announced a six year funding package for highway maintenance. Between 2015/16 and 2021/22 it is providing local highway authorities in England, outside London, with £6.2 billion for highway maintenance. This includes £296 million for a Pothole Action Fund.

In England, Highways England is responsible for the strategic road network, that is motorways and major A roads. Local roads, making up around 98% of the road network, fall under the responsibility of the relevant local highway authority. Highways maintenance in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is a devolved matter and therefore falls under the responsibility of the respective Devolved Administrations. The Department is providing local authorities in England, outside London, with funding of £6.2 billion for local highways maintenance and to help repair potholes or stop them forming.

The Department for Transport does not hold information on what the estimated cost of insurance claims has been to the public purse in the last 12 months due to pothole damage. The matter of insurance and dealing with any compensation claims due to possible defects, including potholes, on the highway network is entirely a matter for the relevant highway authority, who have delegated statutory responsibility for managing and maintaining their roads as set out in the Highways Act 1980 (as amended).

The data requested is not collected centrally.

National Health Service organisations are locally responsible for the condition of their roads and car parks, which will includes potholes and are expected to keep their estate in an appropriate condition.

Figures on public sector expenditure are published as a part of the Government’s Country and Regional Analysis (CRA) statistics. The CRA measures the levels of both ‘capital’ and ‘current’ (i.e. resource) expenditure.

Statistics for Department for Transport expenditure on national and local roads are given in the table below. These figures include expenditure incurred by Highways England and DfT executive agencies (including the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and the Vehicle Certification Agency).

The figures do not include expenditure from DfT to other public sector organisations, such as grant payments made to Local Authorities or Devolved Administrations.

Total DfT expenditure on national and local roads