Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM Survey)

The Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) Survey collects information from local authorities regarding frequency and standards of maintenance, funding and other related issues such as road safety. The information is collected confidentially and analysed independently.

The 2011 ALARM Survey is the 16th to be published and reports that £10.65 billion is now needed to bring the roads of England and Wales up to scratch, an increase of 25% on the 2009 estimate. Local authorities report a larger shortfall in annual road maintenance budgets than last year, amounting to £895 million. The continuing budget shortfall has created an emphasis on reactive maintenance rather than planned preventative work. The resulting fragile condition of the local road network has become obvious following three periods of severe winter weather. More than 2 million potholes were reported as being filled across England and Wales over the last year. The ALARM Survey has collected information from authorities to estimate the cost of repairing damage caused by 2010’s freezing weather. This amounts to nearly double the additional £200 million provided by central government to help repair local roads.

For further information on the ALARM Survey please contact the AIA Press Office on 020 7222 0136

2011 ALARM SURVEY FULL REPORT - PDF