Data collected by the Road Emulsion Association (REA) on this year’s surface dressing season so far shows a 6% reduction in the preventative maintenance treatment compared to the same period last year.
The reduction in surface dressing this year follows the government’s announcement of a record £7.3 billion, to be handed to local authorities in England over the next four years to fix potholes and invest in long-term measures to maintain roads.
A surface dressing season typically runs between April and September but is reliant on optimum weather conditions and efficient programme planning. With a drier than average start to the season, surface dressing levels were expected to be higher.
Surface dressing is the most widely used preventative maintenance treatment and seals the existing road surface from water ingress whilst also retexturing the surface which improves the skid resistance of the road.
REA consultant and secretary Kevin Maw said:
“In recent years, the April to June period has been the busiest quarter for the surface dressing season, so there would need to be a significant upturn in the second half of the year to prevent a year-on-year fall in the amount of surface dressing used in 2026.
“Every mile of surface dressing that is delayed or missed this year is a mile of road that will cost more to repair later. Preventative treatments like this remain the most cost-effective way to keep our roads in good condition, and with record funding now available, we would encourage local authorities to prioritise it before conditions deteriorate further.”
RAC head of policy Simon Williams added:
“It’s very disappointing to see that less surface dressing work has been carried out by councils than last year, especially when there’s a government focus on getting more preventative maintenance carried out to improve our roads for the future.
“What’s more, the Government has given a record £1.6bn in roads funding to local authorities in England for this financial year and has committed to multi-year funding so councils can plan maintenance programmes well ahead of time. For this reason we hope to see improved figures in the second half of the surface dressing season up until the end of September and again next year.”
Data from the second half of the surface dressing season will be available later in the year.
Notes to editors
The Road Emulsion Association represents all UK bitumen emulsion manufacturers. Established in 1928, the REA aims to influence policy, share best practice and keep members updated with recent academic research.
Futureproofing our local roads, is our campaign advocating for preventative highways maintenance methods such as surface dressing. You can find out more on the campaign web-page.
For press enquiries, contact Natalie Geraghty of Purple Tree Communications: natalie.geraghty@purpletreecomms.co.uk or 07563247887.