Overview
- The Department for Transport published an interactive map grading all 154 local highway authorities in England red, amber or green for road condition, spending and adoption of best practice.
- Thirteen councils received red ratings and will get targeted help through a £300,000 expert planning and capability support programme, while most authorities were rated amber.
- Ratings draw on three metrics covering current road condition, repair spending and whether councils follow preventative maintenance best practice.
- The rollout follows a multi‑year commitment of £7.3bn for local road maintenance, including nearly £1.6bn in 2025/26 after a £500m uplift, with a quarter of that uplift previously withheld until transparency reports were published.
- Motoring and cycling groups welcomed the transparency and push for permanent repairs, as several red‑rated councils disputed their classifications and queried the DfT’s data and methodology.