REA Launches Cross-Party Local Elections Campaign Backing Preventative Road Maintenance

The Road Emulsion Association (REA) has launched a cross-party campaign ahead of the 2026 local elections, calling on candidates across England, Scotland and Wales to commit to a long-term, preventative approach to maintaining the UK’s local road network.

The initiative urges prospective councillors to move away from short-term pothole repairs and instead prioritise planned, cost-effective maintenance treatments that extend road life and reduce carbon emissions.

Turning the Tide on Reactive Repairs

Local roads account for 98% of the UK’s road network, yet councils continue to spend significant portions of their budgets on reactive pothole filling rather than preventative surface treatments.

The REA argues that this approach is unsustainable. Surface dressing, one of the most widely used preventative treatments, can extend road life by 10 to 15 years while using 75% less bitumen and 80% less aggregate than full resurfacing. It also delivers substantial carbon savings.

The campaign follows what the REA describes as a year of positive momentum for the sector. In 2025, surface dressing activity increased by 15%, while encapsulation techniques expanded significantly, with one in four surface-dressed roads now protected by a double waterproofing layer.

These developments represent a notable shift after more than a decade of decline in preventative treatments.

Three Key Commitments

As part of the campaign, the REA is asking candidates to publicly back three core pledges:

• Significantly increased investment in preventative road treatments

• Long-term, sustained funding for local roads

• Clear and transparent preventative maintenance strategies

To encourage engagement, the association has produced a printable poster for candidates and councillors to share on social media. Supporters are invited to post photographs tagging the REA and its members, with a collage of endorsements set to be published ahead of the pre-election period.

Backed by Funding Reform

The campaign launch comes after the Government confirmed multi-year highways maintenance funding, a move welcomed by the REA for providing councils with greater financial certainty.

New annual reporting requirements on pothole spending, introduced in June 2025, are also intended to improve transparency and accountability. The REA believes these reforms create an opportunity to embed preventative maintenance as standard practice rather than relying on short-term fixes.

Kevin Maw, REA consultant and secretary, said the industry is at a critical juncture.

“We are seeing real momentum behind preventative maintenance, but there is still a long way to go. Councils that invest in surface dressing and encapsulation are already seeing fewer potholes, stronger networks and better long-term value.

“Our message to candidates is simple: prevention works, and communities deserve roads that are resilient, safe and built to last.”

Industry Support for Prevention

The campaign has also drawn support from the RAC, which has long criticised the focus on reactive repairs.

Simon Williams, RAC head of policy, said: “Preventing potholes forming in the first place is the key to improving our roads in the long term. The plague of potholes we’re now suffering is down to years of doing the wrong thing: focussing on filling potholes without then sealing surfaces to the damaging effects of the elements.

“We’re hopeful we’ll begin to break that cycle this year with councils being given record amounts to maintain their roads properly, a commitment to five-year funding blocks and a much-needed top-down focus on preventative maintenance.”

Campaign Timeline

The REA’s Local Elections 2026 campaign will run from February through to late March, ahead of the official pre-election period. Throughout the campaign, the association will publish weekly updates, sector insights and performance data via its LinkedIn page.

With local elections approaching, the REA is positioning preventative maintenance as both a fiscal responsibility and an environmental imperative — arguing that investment in early intervention now will reduce costs, disruption and emissions in the long term.