Norfolk's roads, pavements, cycleways and bridges require £71.38 million worth of investment to bring them back up to the standard the council set as its benchmark in 2008, according to figures presented at the Cabinet meeting.

The backlog figure was last formally reported to the Infrastructure and Development Select Committee in July 2025 and covers the full range of highway assets across the county's 6,200-mile network, including roads, footways, cycleways, bridges and culverts.

The figure emerged during a question from Cllr Callum Ringer, who asked Cabinet to explain an apparent contradiction: how could a two-year maintenance backlog exist alongside figures showing 97% of potholes are fixed within target timeframes?

Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport Cllr Tom Dickerson clarified that the two measures are entirely separate. The 97% figure tracks how quickly contractors repair individual potholes once reported, while the £71.38 million backlog reflects the overall deteriorating condition of the entire highway network.

In other words, councils can be meeting short-term repair targets while the underlying infrastructure continues to decline.

The backlog figure does not include any update since July 2025, and it is unclear whether conditions have improved or worsened in the intervening year. No timeline or funding commitment to address the backlog was announced at the meeting.