16/06/2026
Last week we posted 'Are we buying roads… or are we buying performance?" since then we have seen new DfT reporting rules that could change how local councils look after our roads and here’s why that matters.
This month the Department for Transport introduced new reporting requirements for local authorities on how they maintain and spend money on local roads.
The Asphalt Industry Alliance has welcomed it, saying: “Ensuring the right maintenance intervention is carried out at the right time is vital if local authorities are going to be able to make noticeable improvements to our local roads.”
Translation? Councils will need to show not just what they’ve spent, but whether the work they chose was actually the right fix.
That’s important, because for years the industry has flagged a cycle of short-term fixes:
- Potholes filled, but the underlying structure left to fail.
- Reactive repairs that cost more in the long run.
- Roads only resurfaced once in a generation.
If councils are now being asked to justify their maintenance decisions, the case for doing proper, durable resurfacing becomes much stronger.
What does that mean for MAC Surfacing?
We’ve always believed in doing the right job at the right time, whether that’s a full resurfacing scheme, a surface dressing or targeted plane and patching where that’s what’s genuinely needed.
Better reporting should mean:
✅ More planned, proactive work
✅ Less chasing the same potholes year after year
✅ Contractors being rewarded on quality outcomes, not just speed
It’s early days, but anything that shifts road maintenance from “patch it and pray” to “fix it properly” is a win for road users, residents and the councils responsible for keeping things moving.
If your local roads are showing signs of wear now, summer is the ideal window to get ahead of it before winter makes things worse.
Drop us a message if you want to talk through what good resurfacing actually looks like.
