New Pothole Ratings Shine A Light On Rural Road Challenges

A new government map showing how well councils are tackling potholes has put local road maintenance firmly back in the spotlight.

Published by the Department for Transport, the interactive map rates 154 local highway authorities as red, amber or green based on road condition, levels of investment in repairs and whether councils are following best practice. The ratings follow the announcement of £7.3 billion in funding for local road maintenance.

According to the government, the new system is designed to improve transparency and help the public see how effectively pothole funding is being used in their area. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the approach would support better long-term planning and deliver visible improvements for drivers.

However, early scrutiny of the map suggests that a number of authorities receiving red or amber ratings cover largely rural areas. This has prompted questions about whether national performance measures fully reflect the realities of maintaining rural road networks.

The government has emphasised the importance of moving away from short-term patching towards preventative maintenance, a shift widely welcomed across the sector. However, preventative approaches typically require greater upfront investment, something that can be harder to sustain where budgets are already stretched and costs are higher due to geography and scale.

Of particular importance for rural authorities is the government’s intention to link future funding allocations to performance against these ratings. While additional support for improvement is welcome, there are concerns that without sufficient recognition of rural cost pressures and network length, performance-linked funding could risk reinforcing existing disparities.

Well-maintained local roads are vital for rural economies, access to services and everyday life. As the new rating system beds in, ensuring that funding and assessment frameworks properly reflect rural circumstances will be essential if all communities are to benefit fairly from investment in England’s local road network.

Read the government announcement and access the map here