More than 850 miles of road across the South East are due to be resurfaced this year, according to Department for Transport (DfT) figures reported by Sussex News. The government published its national figures on 21 October 2026, in a news release saying councils across England will resurface nearly 7,000 miles of road this year.
Brighton & Hove City Council has its own programme under way. This is what the figures say, and how they line up with road and transport work in the city.
England. Nearly 7,000 miles planned by councils this year, up 10% on last year (DfT).
South East. 850+ miles due this year, according to Sussex News.
Brighton & Hove. 137,612 m² of road to be treated or resurfaced in 2026/27 (council).
What the government announced
The DfT says councils in England are spending £4.9 billion on local roads this year, more than £800 million above what they spent before this government came to power. The government’s total funding for road maintenance is £7.3 billion.
It has also released a further £220 million to councils across England. That money is incentive funding, tied to meeting performance targets, and the DfT says further funding depends on meeting those targets and can be withheld.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander says potholes have for too long been a source of national embarrassment, and that the figures show the country is “starting to turn a corner”. The department says 94% of councils will carry out preventative roadworks this year, up from 76% last year, and that the average driver could save up to nearly £600 on repairs.
The South East figures
Sussex News reports that the 850 miles for the South East is more than 10% up on the previous year’s programme. It says the total splits into 650 miles of preventative maintenance and 200 miles of structural maintenance, and that every South East council reported plans for preventative work this year.
The same report puts combined council road maintenance spending in the South East at £850 million, up £75 million on before the current government took power.
What is planned in Brighton and Hove
The council’s road maintenance programme for 2026/27 is funded by a Department for Transport grant of more than £8.8 million for roads, pavements and transport. Almost £4 million of that is for improving roads and £2.2 million is for immediate fixes such as potholes. The city has over 390 miles of roads and cycle lanes.
The council says 137,612 square metres of road will be treated or resurfaced in 2026/27, through three types of work.
20 micro-asphalt schemes. A surface treatment that makes the road smoother, skid-resistant and watertight. The council says it can extend road life by about 10 years.
18 machine patching sites. Repairs to small damaged areas such as potholes and cracks.
10 full resurfacing schemes. The existing surface is removed to the required depth and replaced with new material.
The council says machine patching and most resurfacing sites are still at the tender stage, so they may change. Kingsway’s resurfacing is in design and will be delivered alongside an active travel scheme. The full list of roads is on the council’s programme page. We have covered the programme in detail in Brighton & Hove Road Maintenance Programme 2026/27 Explained.
Why prevention is the focus
The council gives its own figures for why treating roads early matters. It says repairing a pothole in a failed road costs on average £200 per square metre, while treating a good road to stop potholes forming costs £10 per square metre.
That is the same idea behind the national push towards preventative work. Earlier road work in the city is covered in our reports on Western Road Rebuild and Red Route: What's Happening and When and Valley Gardens 3 Opens in Brighton: £12.8m Old Steine Scheme Complete.
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