Hampshire’s roads are under immense strain, and residents are right to be frustrated.
Weeks of relentless rain have torn open road surfaces across the county.
Potholes are appearing faster than crews can fill them, and some defects now worsen within hours.
This winter has been one of the wettest in years, with January delivering 156 per cent of its average rainfall and February exceeding its monthly norm in the first week alone.
But the anger many people feel sits on top of a simple, unavoidable truth: Hampshire does not have the money to maintain its 5,500-mile road network to the standard we all want.
To bring our roads up to the condition I would expect would cost around £600m. Our highways budget this year is £60m.
No amount of efficiency or innovation can bridge a £540m gap.
Demand for essential, legally mandated services has risen sharply.
By 2030, nearly five per cent of Hampshire’s population will be over 80.
We have more children with Special Educational Needs than the national average.
Demand for disability support continues to grow.
These services must be provided by law, and their costs are rising far faster than councils can raise revenue.
Council tax comparisons underline the challenge.
A Band D household in Hampshire pays £1,609 to the county council. In Surrey, it’s £1,846; in Oxfordshire, £1,911.
Hampshire residents have benefitted from lower council tax for years - but lower tax inevitably means less money for services, and highways is one of the areas that suffers.
Even maximum annual increases would not come close to covering the rising cost of care.
Despite these pressures, we are acting. We have deployed more Jet and Dragon Patchers, added extra patching gangs, expanded drainage and flooding response teams, and brought in an additional white‑lining crew.
Temporary repairs will continue where necessary to keep roads safe, with permanent repairs following when weather conditions improve.
Looking ahead, we are reshaping the 2026/27 budget to move every possible penny into road maintenance, with over £10m expected to be added for summer repairs.
We are also progressing a new lane‑rental scheme that could generate up to £5m a year to reinvest in highways. Our crews are working flat out.
But until the national funding system reflects the true cost of social care, education and road maintenance, councils like Hampshire will continue to face impossible choices.
Cllr Nick Adams-King
Share