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Data collected by the Road Emulsion Association (REA) on this yearโs surface dressing season so far shows a 6% reduction in the preventative maintenance treatment compared to the same period last year.ย The reduction in surface dressing this year follows the government’s announcement of a record ยฃ7.3 billion, to be handed to local authorities in […]
Surface dressing works best when applied during the summer. As a planned preventative maintenance technique, this keeps networks in good condition for up to 10-15 years. In the first few days, if newly dressed roads are impacted by higher-than-normal summer temperatures, this may result in the bitumen binder potentially softening, which can mean that the […]
The new rules councils must follow when proving how well they are maintaining local roads marks a significant step forward โ and one the Road Emulsion Association strongly welcomes. The Department for Transport (DfT) has published updated guidance for councils when completing their annual transparency report, first introduced last year. This year’s requirements have been […]
The Department for Transport (DfT) has invited theย 13 English highwayย authorities that received a red rating in its new maintenance performance system to take up free peer reviews delivered by the Local Government Association. REA responds to DfT Peer Reviews for Local Authorities 3ย min read The Department for Transport (DfT) has invited the 13 English highway […]
ALARM Survey 2026 shows the increasing value of preventative maintenance A record ยฃ18.62 billion repair backlog and resurfacing cycles stretching to once every 97 years โ the latest ALARM Survey makes clear that the recent uplift in funding is not yet showing through. The REA argues the answer lies in shifting decisively toward preventative treatments. 3ย min […]
17 February 2026 Road industry body calls on local elections candidates to back preventative roads maintenance The Road Emulsion Association (REA) has today launched its local elections 2026 cross-party campaign, urging all candidates across England, Scotland and Wales to commit to a long-term, preventative approach to maintaining the UK’s local road network. As part of […]
One in four surface dressed UK local roads treated with โencapsulation protectionโ in 2024โ25 to improve climate resilience and prevent potholes In 2024 and 2025, a quarter of local roads that were surface dressed received an additional coating of encapsulation โ a highways preventative maintenance method that doubly protects the road and stops potholes forming. […]
Following last weekโs Budget, government has now confirmed a multi-year highways maintenance funding package through to 2030. From the perspective of the Road Emulsion Association (REA), this represents a decisive step forward in tackling the UKโs local road challenges. In the announcement, weโve seenโฆ Record baseline established: 2025 was announced as a record year for […]
On Wednesday 26 November, Chancellor Rt Hon Rachel Reeves delivered what has been described as a โBig Budgetโ. Relatively speaking, weโve seen high tax, high spend announcements. And they could impact the way government and local authorities invest in our road network. From the perspective of the Road Emulsion Association, one particular new policy is […]
New data points to encouraging uptick in pothole prevention work 15% more surface dressing work carried out in 2025 than in 2024 But level of pothole prevention work still 32% below 2012 level Vital surface dressing work on Britainโs local roads that is proven to prevent potholes forming increased by 15% this year, new data […]
