Motorists to benefit from game-changing funding to repair Swindon’s roads
Swindon Borough Council has been given an early Christmas present from the Government in the shape of £30m to repair roads across the town.
Published: Monday, 22nd December 2025
A new multi-year funding settlement will allow the Council to prepare a comprehensive four-year Highway Maintenance Programme to tackle the estimated £50m backlog of road repairs in Swindon.
In 2025/26, the Council was able to budget almost £6m for road maintenance, including £170,000 for reactive pothole repairs. By 2029/30, if all grant allocations are met, the budget is set to rise by 45 per cent.
Confirmation of funding from central government, totalling nearly £30m across four financial years until April 2030, means the Council is now able to plan further in advance what roads need to be repaired and when alongside any reactive maintenance.
The Council is already working on a programme of works early in the new year and for the rest of 2026.
Councillor Chris Watts, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment and Transport, said: “This is a game-changer when it comes to how we plan road repairs and start to get on top of the backlog. For many years the Council was allocated inadequate grants on an annual basis making it difficult to plan programmes and retain staff.
“The four-year allocation along with the substantial grant increase gives the Council every opportunity to rebuild its highways capability and move forward with confidence.
“Our estimated repair backlog of £50m has come from years of underfunding and we are finally moving in the right direction to put this right. While we don’t have the full details yet, this £30m will help us target roads that need the most work.
“It’s not an overnight fix, but I am confident that the roads in Swindon will be in a better position after the four-year programme. However, this money will allow us to build on the foundation we’ve have set in the last 12 months and make long-lasting change for Swindon’s road users.”
In 2025, the Council carried out more highways work than it did in 2024 thanks to a £1.5m uplift from central government at the start of the year. More than 8,000 potholes have been repaired, 330 areas relined, 800 pieces of street furniture repaired and 10 major and minor roads resurfaced (including Drakes Way, Croft Road and Hay Lane).
More information about the next programme of resurfacing works will be announced in the new year. In the meantime, more details about how the Council manages its road maintenance can be found on its website.