Overview
- The Department for Transport released interactive red–amber–green ratings for 154 local highway authorities based on road condition, spend and adherence to best practice.
- Thirteen authorities received an overall red rating—Bedford, Bolton, Cumberland, Derbyshire, Greenwich, Kensington and Chelsea, Leicestershire, North Lincolnshire, Slough, Suffolk, Waltham Forest, Westmorland and Furness, and West Northamptonshire—while most councils were rated amber.
- Red-rated councils will get a £300,000 expert planning and capability programme, and the government says access to full future allocations will be linked to performance; a previously withheld quarter of this year’s £500m uplift was unlocked after transparency reports were published.
- Several councils challenged their classifications, with Bolton citing a data error affecting spend figures and Suffolk saying the dataset contains inaccuracies, and others requesting meetings to discuss the methodology.
- The ratings follow a multi-year £7.3bn commitment to local road maintenance and emphasise preventative practices, as motoring and cycling groups back greater transparency; assessment data was compiled in 2025, including March–June reporting.