The UK Government has launched a traffic light rating system to show how well Local Highway Authorities (LHA) are tackling potholes.
The new ratings grade 154 LHAs as red, amber or green, based on current road condition, and how effectively they are spending the government’s £7.3 billion funding to fix potholes and invest in long term measures to maintain roads.
The interactive map shows every LHA’s rating, to highlight best practice and drive improved performance from councils.
The red, amber, green ratings are based on three key areas: the condition of local roads, how much LHAs are spending on road repairs, and whether they are following best practice. LHAs that scored ‘green’, like Leeds, Sandwell and Manchester, were able to demonstrate they were following all three areas.
‘Amber’ ranked LHAs showed some of these qualities with room for improvement in individual areas, while those rated ‘red’ are not yet meeting the expected standards in one or several areas measured by the ratings.
To boost standards, LHAs currently rated red will receive dedicated support to bring them in line with best practices, backed by £300,000 worth of expert planning and capability assistance. The support programme will include peer reviews where sector experts will help improve processes and provide practical advice. As an incentive to better roads, access to full future funding allocations will be linked to performance.
To further ensure transparency from LHAs, 25% of local highway authorities’ £500 million funding uplift this financial year was withheld until they published transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice.
In further support for local authorities, the government will extend the Live Labs 2 programme for another year, providing up to £300,000 to help councils access and adopt more innovative approaches to maintenance.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:
“We’ve put our money where our mouth is, increasing the funding for local highway authorities with £7.3 billion to fix roads and given them the long-term certainty they have been asking for. Now it’s over to them to spend the money wisely, and for the first time, we are making sure the public can see how well councils are doing in delivering the improvements they want to see in their local area.
“This government’s record investment will save drivers money on repairs, make roads safer and help restore pride in our communities.”
Edmund King, AA president and founding member of the Pothole Partnership, said:
“The top transport demand for 96% of AA members is fixing potholes with increased investment in repairing and upgrading roads.
“We welcome this government initiative to hold local highways authorities to account, which should help to promote the Pothole Partnership objective of more proactive and permanent repairs.”
Caroline Julian, Brand and Engagement Director of British Cycling and founding member of the Pothole Partnership, said:
“For cyclists, potholes are far more than an annoyance. One unexpected impact can cause a serious crash, life-changing injury or, in the worst cases, a fatality. Safe riding depends on safe roads, and a smooth, well-maintained surface isn’t a luxury for cyclists, it’s essential for their safety.
“This new mapping tool is a step forward. It gives riders clear insight into how well their council is maintaining the routes they rely on every day, whilst holding decision-makers to account.”
RAC Head of Policy, Simon Williams, said:
“These new ratings are a positive move that will help drivers understand how councils are performing when it comes to improving the state of local roads. While there are examples of good road maintenance practice taking place, this isn’t consistent across the country and means drivers have, for too long, been left with substandard roads.
“We hope this initiative, plus the promise of longer-term funding for councils to allow them to plan and carry out much-needed preventative maintenance, means we’re finally on the way to having smoother, better roads.”
Kerry Winstanley, Managing Director of Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG), said:
“The release of the national ratings provides a clear opportunity to target support and strengthen the local road network where it is most needed.
“For many years, highways authorities have worked hard to maintain roads despite declining budgets and resources and the ratings, released alongside record multi-year investment, will enable authorities to benefit from additional support and increase investment in preventative maintenance, while continuing collaborative work supported by LCRIG, including sharing best practices, adopting innovative solutions, and working towards a nationally green-rated road network.”
Further industry reaction:
Angela Jones, President of ADEPT said:
“We acknowledge the government’s commitment to transparency and long-term investment in local roads, however the newly published ratings raise significant questions about the assessment methodology.
“We would like clarity on how ratings have been calculated, including how different data collection approaches and funding allocation timings have been factored into assessments. We need to ensure the ratings fairly reflect genuine progress across different local authority areas – in the future, we believe local authorities should have the opportunity to verify data and clarify any factual questions before ratings are published, to ensure accuracy and build confidence in the system.
“While the £7.3 billion investment announced in the budget last year represents a step forward, it follows decades of underfunding that left local roads in a fragile state – it is just the start of what is needed to tackle the £17bn repair backlog that continues to grow. Road condition isn’t simply a measure of council performance – it reflects historic funding levels, traffic volumes, network size and weather impacts.
“For many years, councils have been calling for multi-year funding certainty, so they can plan effectively and prioritise long term, preventative maintenance over costly reactive repairs.
“Together, the funding announcements made last year represent a step in the right direction, meaning that we can invest more in the treatments that stop potholes forming in the first place. However, after decades of underinvestment, it will take time before we see the rate of deterioration slow and meaningful improvements in network condition.
“We welcome the extension of the ADEPT Live Labs 2 programme for another year – Year 4 will focus on sharing best practice, ensuring that the insights and innovations developed through the programme are communicated across the sector to accelerate the adoption of new solutions to establish new ways of working. This kind of practical support, alongside funding, is exactly what is needed to transform how we maintain our roads. The UK-wide £30 million programme, funded by the Department for Transport, aims to decarbonise the local highways infrastructure network.
“With sustained investment and the right support, councils can focus on improving road conditions while managing the ongoing challenges of heavier vehicles, severe weather and third-party works that all impact our roads.”Responding to the publication of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) traffic light system for highways maintenance, a spokesperson for Suffolk Highways said:
“This new traffic light assessment system rates Suffolk as amber on road condition and following best practice, but red on spending money – resulting in an overall red rating.
“However, councils weren’t told about the new system until Friday and we believe there are unfortunate inaccuracies in the data so will be raising this with the DFT on Monday.
“All highways maintenance funding received from Government is fully invested in Suffolk’s highways network, including fixing potholes and resurfacing roads. This is why Suffolk has continued to receive all of the funding it expected this year, including incentive fund elements linked to performance.”
Image courtesy of the UK Government
