Bexley Pothole Row: MP Francis Slams Council Repairs

Key Points

• Bexley Council claims it is in an “exceptionally good position” on road maintenance compared to other UK councils, citing green ratings from the Department for Transport (DfT) on spend and condition scorecards.
• Labour MP Daniel Francis for Bexleyheath and Crayford criticises the Conservative-controlled council for slow pothole repairs and risks losing DfT funding due to lacklustre progress.
• The council expects to overspend its £895,000 DfT allocation by issuing £919,000 in contractor instructions, plus £5.4m from its own £4.96m budget for road maintenance this financial year.
• Overspend covers potential weather delays and utility disruptions; surplus can be met by advancing next year’s budget.
• Bexley ranks seventh nationally in average combined road condition scores (A, B, C, U roads) per Cllr Richard Diment, one of only 26 councils with a green condition rating.
• Dispute escalated to Parliament in October, where Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned Bexley could lose funding; Cllr David Leaf wrote to the PM seeking assurances but received no reply.
• At January 26 Cabinet meeting, councillors praised residents for reporting defects via FixMyStreet and staff/contractors for repairing ~2,500 potholes yearly and major works on 300 roads over five years.
• Mr Francis counters that council spent only 25% of DfT pothole funds and 53% of own highways budget in first 67% of year, facing a “race against time” in winter after summer/autumn delays.
• DfT gave Bexley an amber rating on road maintenance; A roads rank 72nd nationally; council data shows deterioration since 2021 budget cuts.
• Cllr Leaf accuses Mr Francis of “attention-seeking” and misinformation, urging him to lobby Labour Government and Sadiq Khan for more funding instead of political fights.
• Mr Francis highlights unrepaired potholes and premature closures of reports despite resident complaints passed to council.

Bexley (South London News) February 3, 2026 – A heated dispute over pothole repairs has intensified between Bexley Council and Labour MP Daniel Francis, with the Conservative-led authority defending its road maintenance record amid accusations of underperformance and funding risks.

The row, ongoing for months, resurfaced at a Cabinet meeting on January 26, where councillors outlined overspending on repairs to counter claims of neglect. Both sides wield competing statistics, highlighting national rankings, spending paces and government ratings, as residents continue to report defects.

What Sparked the Latest Clash in Bexley’s Cabinet Meeting?

The confrontation reignited during discussions of the council’s budget at the January 26 Cabinet meeting. Cllr Richard Diment, addressing the gathering, confirmed the council would exceed its road maintenance allocations to ensure roadways remain safe.

“Of the £895,000 that we were allocated by the Department for Transport for this year, we have now issued instructions totalling £919,000 to our contractors for maintenance work,”

stated Cllr Diment.

He elaborated that, including Bexley’s own £4.96m annual budget for highways, instructions to contractors totalled £5.4m.

“The slight increase over budget is to allow for any potential slippage there might be due to poor weather or, [as is] increasingly the problem unfortunately as we all see as we move around Bexley, are sudden emergency road repairs by the utilities which result in work being delayed,”

Cllr Diment added.

Cllr Diment assured that if all instructions proceed and an overspend occurs, funds could be brought forward from next year’s budget. He noted this positioned Bexley

“well on target to achieve total expenditure, which is one of the reasons of course why we got a green on our spend scorecard in the Department for Transport local road maintenance ratings.”

How Does Bexley’s Road Condition Rank Nationally?

Cllr Diment highlighted Bexley’s strong performance in DfT assessments. The borough secured a green rating on the condition scorecard, achieved by only 26 authorities nationwide.

According to the councillor’s figures, Bexley ranked seventh in the country for average combined scores across A, B, C and U roads.

“Those who want to talk down Bexley and say that it’s not in a good condition, I think this is a clear indicator that actually relative, not just to our neighbours, the rest of London and indeed most of England, we are in an exceptionally good position,”

he declared.

Bexley Council Leader David Leaf reinforced this, stating:

“I think it is important that clarity is given, that people understand the facts and not the spin and the rhetoric.”

Cllr Leaf criticised Mr Francis directly:

“What was also disappointing when this was raised in Parliament is that the attention-seeking Member of Parliament who raised this didn’t have the courtesy to thank our officers or our contractors and operatives for the work that they do, keeping those roads in a good condition. We appreciate and respect their work which is why we are investing heavily in this area.”

The Cabinet also commended Bexley residents for their “sterling work” as the council’s “eyes and ears,” particularly via the FixMyStreet website for flagging defects.

Why Did the Pothole Dispute Reach Prime Minister’s Questions?

The feud escalated to national level last October during Prime Minister’s Questions. There, Keir Starmer warned that Bexley Council risked losing Department for Transport funding if it failed to maintain highways adequately.

Days later, Cllr David Leaf penned a letter to the Prime Minister, requesting assurances that Bexley’s funding remained secure and urging correction of what the council deemed misinformation from Mr Francis. As of February 2026, Cllr Leaf reports no response.

This parliamentary intervention underscores the political stakes, with council funding tied to performance metrics amid broader government pressures on local authorities.

What Are Daniel Francis MP’s Main Criticisms?

Daniel Francis MP responded swiftly to the Cabinet’s comments.

“It’s disappointing, but not surprising, that Bexley’s Conservative Cabinet members chose to continue their obsession of spending time disparaging me, rather than deal with spending the Government’s funds to fill potholes,”

he said.

Mr Francis cited Cabinet papers showing 25% of DfT pothole recovery funding and 53% of the council’s own highways maintenance budget spent in the first 67% of the financial year.

“Conservative Councillors, unfortunately, continue deflecting to try to avert attention from the fact that they are in a race against the clock to spend funds during the worst weather conditions of the year, due to their lack of progress throughout summer and autumn,”

he argued.

He challenged the council’s claims, noting a DfT amber rating for local road maintenance and funding use. DfT figures from earlier this month place Bexley’s A roads at 72nd nationally, contradicting assertions of seventh-best roads.

“Conservative Councillors continue with their unsubstantiated claim that they have the seventh best roads in the country. In doing so, they continue to gaslight our residents as their own figures, published on the council’s website, show a significant deterioration in the roads since their decision to slash road maintenance budgets in 2021,”

Mr Francis continued.

The MP shared resident concerns:

“Like many residents, I am fully aware of how much work remains to be done. I have passed on numerous concerns from residents to the council on the condition of our roads, including cases where potholes were not repaired within the agreed timeframe or where initial reports were closed prematurely, only for the council to later accept that the potholes did meet the criteria for repair.”

How Does Cllr Leaf Counter the MP’s Claims?

Cllr Leaf rebutted Mr Francis point-by-point.

“Data published by the Government shows the condition of the roads in Bexley to be scoring amongst the best in the country with a Green rating, but we know there is always more to do,”

he affirmed.

He outlined future commitments:

“This is why our budget plans for 2026/27 and over the next four years puts millions of pounds of new funding into fixing potholes, keeping our roads and pavements in safe conditions, and repairing, resurfacing and restructuring our highways.”

Cllr Leaf praised operations:

“We are grateful to our staff and contractors for the work they do keeping our roads safe, including repairing around 2,500 potholes a year and undertaking major works on around 300 roads in the last five years, and our residents who report issues to us.”

He highlighted external challenges:

“At this time of the year, we are also navigating the disruption to our roads network caused by significant numbers of utilities works being undertaken, which Thames Water and other companies are responsible for.”

Turning political, Cllr Leaf advised:

“Instead of trying to pick political fights to grab attention and then complaining when his misleading claims are corrected, Mr Francis should be thanking our staff and contractors for the work they do. His time would also be better spent by joining us in lobbying his friends in the Labour Government to reverse the cuts they are imposing on Bexley’s grant funding and the cuts to highways funding that Sadiq Khan has imposed on us since he was elected.”

What Broader Context Surrounds Bexley’s Roads Funding?

The dispute reflects national tensions over local highways funding. Bexley Council insists it receives less than needed, expecting to overspend both DfT and own allocations this year. Government scorecards provide ammunition for both: greens on spend and condition bolster council claims, while amber maintenance and A-road rankings fuel MP critiques.

Residents remain central, with FixMyStreet enabling quick reports. Yet Mr Francis alleges systemic delays, including untimely repairs and premature closures.

As winter persists, weather and utilities exacerbate issues. Council plans multi-year investments signal long-term priority, but political barbs dominate discourse.

This row, pitting local Conservatives against a Labour MP, underscores divides on fiscal responsibility and service delivery. With no PM response to Cllr Leaf and financial year-end looming, pressure mounts for tangible repairs over rhetoric.