The government has issued new rules requiring councils to prove they are doing more to fix potholes and future-proof roads.
Councils will need to publicly demonstrate how how well they repair their roads and what they are doing to avoid repeat visits to the same stretch of road.
The reports are set to be published in September.
The new guidance will be used to update the red/amber/green (RAG) ratings first published by the government earlier this year. Green-rated local authorities were able to demonstrate they are following best practice, such as investing in long-term pothole prevention and full road resurfacing rather than just patching up potholes.
Councils that do not follow the guidance or fail to publish their reports on time, will have almost a third of this year’s funding held back to ensure they are transparent with taxpayers.
Roads and Buses Minister Simon Lightwood said: "For too long motorists have been left incensed by short-term work being prioritised over genuine long-term repairs. Thanks to our new guidance, that changes today.
"For the first time not only will councils need to show just how many potholes they are filling in, but what they are doing to avoid going back to fix the same pothole time and again - something which understandably infuriates drivers.
"This is backed by a record £7.3 billion investment to help councils deliver the long-term road repairs motorists deserve."
RAC Head of Policy Simon Williams said: "Aside from potholes themselves, there’s nothing that annoys drivers more than ones that have been poorly repaired and become potholes again in a matter of weeks or months. Bad repairs are a waste of time and money, so it’s positive the government is prioritising long-term fixes over short-term patching and dashing.
"Potholes need to be fixed promptly and permanently as they are a serious road safety danger to those on 2 wheels, along with causing expensive damage to vehicles. The poor state of Britain’s roads is drivers’ biggest gripe, so it’s good to see a new approach being taken. Fixing potholes once and carrying out preventative maintenance that stops them forming in the first place is a big step towards improving our roads for the future."
