New analysis of Department for Transport road condition data has revealed stark regional disparities in the state of Britain's roads, with some local authorities facing significantly worse conditions than others despite comparable maintenance budgets.
The analysis, conducted by field management software provider Re-flow Field Management, examined the percentage of A, B and C roads rated "red" - indicating poor surface condition that may require immediate maintenance - against those rated "green" or "amber."
The findings carry a direct practical dimension for motor insurers and local authorities alike. Poor road surfaces are a recognised driver of vehicle damage claims - tyres, wheels, suspension and alignment - and local authorities can face liability claims from drivers where a failure to maintain roads to a reasonable standard is found to have caused damage. The scale of the disparities below suggests that exposure to this kind of claim is far from evenly spread across the country.
|
Rank |
Local authority |
A-roads red |
A-roads amber |
B/C roads red |
B/C roads amber |
|
1 |
West Northamptonshire |
5% |
71% |
17.5% |
72.5% |
|
2 |
Derbyshire |
20.4% |
44% |
27% |
47.6% |
|
3 |
North Northamptonshire |
3% |
71% |
10% |
82% |
|
4 |
Bristol, City of |
8.8% |
63.2% |
10% |
74.6% |
|
5 |
Southend-on-Sea |
12.6% |
47% |
19.8% |
51.8% |
|
6 |
Bath and Northeast Somerset |
5% |
56% |
17% |
60.5% |
|
7 |
Bradford |
6.67% |
62.67% |
9.33% |
63% |
|
8 |
Liverpool |
9.8% |
45.2% |
15% |
54.75% |
|
9 |
Cheshire West and Chester |
1% |
64.8% |
4.4% |
72.4% |
|
10 |
Westminster |
4% |
32% |
16.5% |
71.5% |
Source: Re-flow Field Management
West Northamptonshire recorded the worst overall score of any UK authority, at 47.13, with just 24.5% of its A roads and motorways rated green against 71% amber and 5% red. Its B and C roads were the worst nationally: only 9.5% green, 72.5% amber and 17.5% red. The council has committed £155 million in capital investment over four years, including £14.6 million for road maintenance this year, covering 6.79km of micro asphalt and 13.2km of surface dressing.
Derbyshire ranked second overall at 46.60, with the highest proportion of red-rated A roads and motorways in the country at 20.4%. The council has allocated £41 million to road maintenance for 2025/26, including a £3.6 million surface dressing programme across 57 sites.
North Northamptonshire placed third at 44.75, despite allocating roughly £14 million to highway maintenance in 2024/25 and running dedicated teams targeting more than 1,000 pothole repairs weekly - illustrating that spending levels alone do not necessarily correspond to road condition outcomes.
Westminster, one of London's wealthiest boroughs, appeared in the bottom 10 despite its resources: while 64% of its A roads were rated green, just 12% of its B and C roads achieved the same rating, with 16.5% red.
At the other end of the scale, Sunderland recorded the best road conditions nationally, with 87.6% of its A roads and motorways rated green and just 1% red; its B and C roads showed a similar pattern, at 85.4% green and 1% red. Middlesbrough and Leeds followed as the second- and third-best performing authorities.
Earlier this year, the Department for Transport gave West Northamptonshire Council a "red" rating - the worst of three gradings - for how it manages potholes, one of just 13 authorities nationally to receive it. The DfT's ratings covered 154 authorities and assessed road condition, maintenance spending and wider best practice; 16 authorities were rated green and 125 amber. West Northamptonshire scored red for road condition and wider best practice, and amber for spending.
Leicestershire County Council, another of the 13 red-rated authorities, disputed its result. Cllr Adam Tilbury, the council's cabinet member for highways and transport, said its red rating related to how it reported spending on maintenance rather than the quality of its roads or the way it maintained them, and that the council would speak to the DfT to clarify its position. Tilbury also said the latest National Highways Transport Network survey placed Leicestershire in the top 25% of comparable authorities for satisfaction with road conditions.
The two assessments measure different things. The DfT's system combines road condition with maintenance spending and wider best practice, while the Re-flow analysis focuses specifically on the condition categories within DfT road data - which is why an authority can score poorly on one measure while performing more strongly on another.
Ashley Wing, Re-flow's chief marketing officer, said the results point to a wider infrastructure problem rather than an isolated one. "These results show a concerning picture of the UK's road infrastructure, with significant regional disparities in road quality. What's particularly worrying is seeing areas like Westminster in the top 10, showing that even wealthy boroughs aren't immune to road maintenance issues," he said.
