In a new report by the Audit Commission the state of the UK's roads are worsening.

According to the Road Haulage Association, further evidence of the worsening state of the UK’s local roads comes in a new report by the Audit Commission.   It says there is going to be a 26% drop in government funding for local authorities and a 16% fall in capital funding coming through local transport plans over the next three years, so the pressure on councils to keep roads serviceable will be huge.

Confirming some cuts, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said that funding would be "going down year on year", although he said that overall spending would be higher in the next four years than it had been in the last four.

Councils manage 98% of England’s roads, with the Department for Transport’s Highways Agency managing the rest. The Audit Commission has urged local councils to pool resources to cope with squeezed funding, increasing traffic volumes, bad winter weather and increasing repair costs.

Audit Commission Chairman Michael O'Higgins said: "In the last national Place Survey roads were a higher priority with residents than crime or affordable housing. Roads in disrepair can put the brakes on trade, economic prosperity, even emergency services. But a well-maintained network helps people, goods and services to move freely and safely."