Overview
- A new interactive map rates 154 local highway authorities red, amber or green based on road condition and how effectively they use government maintenance funding.
- Red authorities named by the DfT include Cumberland, Bolton, Leicestershire, Suffolk, and Kensington and Chelsea, with a £300,000 support programme to drive improvements.
- Government funding for local road maintenance totals nearly £1.6 billion in 2025/26 after a £500 million uplift, with a quarter of the extra money released only after councils submitted plans, and a four-year commitment stands at £7.3 billion.
- Political reactions followed media analysis of party-led performance, with reports highlighting some Reform-led councils rated red, while noting the dataset was gathered from March to June 2025 before certain changes in council control.
- Green-rated examples include Essex, Wiltshire, Coventry, Leeds and Darlington for preventative maintenance, the majority of councils are amber, and The Times reported some authorities scored zero for allocating highways funds to roads while Westminster ranked highest on that metric.