Bexley potholes row spills into Parliament as council accused of underspending road repair fund

The Bexley potholes row has reached Parliament after local MP Daniel Francis accused the council of failing to spend nearly £900,000 in government road repair funding.

During Prime Minister’s Questions, the Labour MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford said he had personally inspected roads across his constituency and reported every pothole he found to ensure the Conservative-run council was making full use of its budget.

He told the Commons that the council had written to his local newspaper asking him to “stop reporting potholes because it was causing work for the council.”

“Will the prime minister join me in urging my Conservative council to get on and spend that money to make roads, such as Mayplace Road East, safe to drive on?” Mr Francis asked.

Prime Minister’s response

In response, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “outraged” that a local authority might discourage residents from reporting road defects.

“This is a Conservative council telling my honourable friend not to point out potholes in case it has to fill them. That is outrageous,” he said. “We know how dangerous and costly potholes are to drivers. My message to the council is clear: use the money, fix the roads or lose the money.”

Starmer said councils across the country had received record funding to maintain roads, including £1.6 billion in national investment.

Council backlash

Bexley Council has written to the prime minister demanding an apology and accusing Mr Francis of providing inaccurate information.

Incoming council leader Councillor David Leaf said:

“I was shocked and appalled to hear what was said in the House of Commons. It is appalling that the prime minister did not check his facts. We will robustly defend our position and expect a correction.”

The council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods, Councillor Richard Diment, also rejected the claims, saying Mr Francis’s comments “put Bexley’s government funding at risk.”

“Mr Francis reported over 150 potholes in just over a week. Only around a quarter met the criteria for action, and nine required immediate repair,” he said. “He is being cavalier with the facts.”

Dispute over spending figures

Mr Francis later told BBC Radio 5 Live that the council had spent only £40,000 of its £895,000 funding in the first three months of this financial year. He said his aim was to ensure residents’ concerns were being heard.

“We’ve reported over 100 potholes. Some of them have been dismissed for not meeting the criteria, but I’ve measured them myself,” he said. “Residents agree with me that many of these should have been fixed.”

Councillor Diment disputed the figures, claiming that while £40,000 had been invoiced and paid for, £260,000 had already been committed to repair work. He said the council intended to use the full budget by the end of the year.

A local issue with national resonance

The confrontation has highlighted the growing political tension between Westminster and local councils over infrastructure spending.

The Department for Transport has urged councils to ensure road maintenance funds are used effectively to meet public expectations.

In Bexley, residents say the state of local roads remains a daily frustration. Whether the political storm translates into smoother journeys remains to be seen.

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