09/02/2026
๐ง ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐โ
Hampshireโs roads have taken an absolute battering this winter. Weeks of relentless rain and violent freezeโthaw cycles have ripped open the surface across the county. Potholes are appearing faster than crews can fill them.
Hereโs the blunt truth:
We simply donโt have the money to maintain the roads to the standard we all want.
๐ฅ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ
Cost to bring roads up to the standard Iโd want: ยฃ600 million
Highways budget this year: ยฃ60 million
ยฃ540 million shortfall
No amount of โefficiencyโ fills a gap like that.
๐ท ๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ๐งโ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐
Social care and education costs are exploding โ and Hampshire is hit harder than most:
- By 2030, nearly 5% of residents will be over 80
- More children with Special Educational Needs than average
- Rising demand for disability support
- These services are legally required. If someone qualifies, we must provide care.
- And now Government 'Fair Funding' is removing almost ยฃ40million from our budgets and sending it to mostly Labour run councils in London and the midlands and north.
๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฑ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ
Band D Council Tax paid to Hampshire: ยฃ1,609
Surrey: ยฃ1,846
West Sussex: ยฃ1,800
Oxfordshire: ยฃ1,911
Weโve had lower Council Tax for years โ but that means less money for roads.
You canโt run a highโmaintenance network on a lowโtax budget.
๐ ๏ธ ๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ
Hereโs how the system actually works:
1๏ธโฃ Every report triggers an inspection โ councillors and residents use the same system.
2๏ธโฃ Safety defects come first โ Aโroads and Bโroads before residential streets and country lanes.
3๏ธโฃ Temporary repairs are often unavoidable โ asphalt wonโt bond in cold, wet weather.
4๏ธโฃ Permanent repairs take 7ร longer โ so crews make more locations safe first.
5๏ธโฃ Nonโsafety defects are queued โ tackled when weather and resources allow.
And yes โ some temporary repairs fail in this weather. If they do, please reโreport them.
๐ง๏ธ ๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐ฅ
We've had 156% of our average January rainfall
Februaryโs average rainfall was exceeded in the first week alone
Repeated freezeโthaw cycles
Some potholes appear overnight. Others worsen within hours.
๐๏ธ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐
Hampshire faces a ยฃ500m highways funding gap
Government funding this year: ยฃ30m
We matched it โ still nowhere near enough
Only a tiny fraction of road tax and fuel duty goes to road maintenance
Hampshireโs roads are better than many neighbours, but roads across the South East โ and even motorways โ are in dire condition.
This is a national crisis, not a local failing.
๐ง ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐โ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ
Weโve secured extra resources:
- More Jet/Dragon Patchers
- Extra patching gangs (started 12 Jan, more added end of Jan)
- More drainage jetting machines
- A dedicated flooding response team
- Extra whiteโlining crews
Temporary infills will be used where needed to keep roads safe. Permanent repairs will follow when conditions improve.
Weโre funding this by using underspends in other areas.
๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ฑ๐ญ
Weโre reshaping the 2026/27 budget to move every possible penny into road maintenance โ likely ยฃ10m extra for summer repairs.
And we've launched plans for a laneโrental disruption charge:
Companies pay a daily fee for roadworks on key routes
Encourages shorter, betterโplanned works
Could raise up to ยฃ5m a year for road maintenance
๐ฒ How you can help
Please report potholes โ especially worsening ones โ via the official system:
๐ https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/roadmaintenance/roadproblems/potholes (hants.gov.uk in Bing)
Accurate locations and photos help enormously.
Finally, huge thanks to all our highways staff, they are doing an amazing job in really terrible conditions (would you want to stand in driving rain all day assessing or fixing potholes?) Please remember that when you come across them.
And thanks to you for your patience, it's a very difficult situation and we are doing our absolute best.
(The map below shows the pothole and flooding reports in Romsey Rural so far this year, blue are fixed, red are awaiting action).
