What do the DfT road maintenance ratings mean?

The Department for Transport rates local highway authorities as Red, Amber, or Green using published road condition, spending and best-practice criteria. The rating describes network-level performance, not a finding about a specific defect.

How do these ratings affect my pothole claim?

A rating may provide background context, but it is not proof of liability. It does not show what the authority knew about a specific pothole and does not automatically defeat a Section 58 defence.

Where does this data come from?

All data comes from the official Department for Transport Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025-2026, published on GOV.UK and based on council transparency reports.

Why are some councils rated Red while others are Green?

Ratings reflect published road condition, spending and best-practice criteria. They are comparative network-level indicators and do not decide individual pothole claims.

Official DfT Data • 2025-2026

English Council Road Maintenance Ratings

Search all 154 English highway authorities in the DfT 2025-2026 ratings: 13 RED, 125 AMBER and 16 GREEN. Ratings provide network-level context and do not establish notice, breach or liability for an individual incident.

Last reviewed: 19 July 2026

154

Authorities Rated

Green Rating

125

Amber Rating

Red Rating

✓

Green Rating

A higher network-level assessment under the DfT criteria. It does not establish how a specific road was inspected or repaired.

⚠️

Amber Rating

A middle network-level assessment under the DfT criteria. The specific inspection and repair records for the defect remain more relevant to an individual claim.

⛔

Red Rating

A lower network-level assessment under the DfT criteria. It does not by itself establish notice, a breach of duty, or liability for a specific defect.

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What This Means For Your Claim

Ratings provide context, not proof of liability, and do not automatically defeat a Section 58 defence. An individual claim turns on the specific defect, causation, notice, inspections and repairs. Fixtyer includes the source rating as background information for you to review.

For a West Midlands example, see Dudley's AMBER, GREEN and RED rating bands. Its council page also separates network condition surveys from location-specific safety-inspection records.

English Local Highway Authority DfT Road Maintenance Ratings 2025-2026 - searchable table showing overall, condition, spend, and best practice rating bands
Local Highway Authority	Region	Overall	Condition	Spend	Best Practice
Barking and Dagenham London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Barnet London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Barnsley South Yorkshire	South Yorkshire	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Bath and North East Somerset South West	South West	Amber	Red	Green	Amber
Bedford East of England	East of England	Red	Amber	Red	Amber
Bexley London	London	Amber	Green	Green	Amber
Birmingham West Midlands	West Midlands	Amber	Amber	—	Amber
Blackburn with Darwen North West	North West	Amber	Amber	Green	Green
Blackpool North West	North West	Amber	Amber	Green	Green
Bolton Greater Manchester	Greater Manchester	Red	Amber	Red	Amber
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole South West	South West	Amber	Green	Amber	Amber
Bracknell Forest South East	South East	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Bradford West Yorkshire	West Yorkshire	Amber	Amber	Green	Green
Brent London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Red
Brighton and Hove South East	South East	Amber	Amber	Amber	Amber
Bristol South West	South West	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Bromley London	London	Amber	Red	Green	Red
Buckinghamshire South East	South East	Amber	Amber	Green	Green
Bury Greater Manchester	Greater Manchester	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Calderdale West Yorkshire	West Yorkshire	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Cambridgeshire East of England	East of England	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Camden London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Central Bedfordshire East of England	East of England	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Cheshire East North West	North West	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Cheshire West and Chester North West	North West	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
City of London London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
York Yorkshire and the Humber	Yorkshire and the Humber	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Cornwall South West	South West	Amber	Green	Amber	Amber
Coventry West Midlands	West Midlands	Green	Green	Green	Amber
Croydon London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Cumberland North West	North West	Red	Amber	Amber	Amber
Darlington North East	North East	Green	Amber	Green	Amber
Derby East Midlands	East Midlands	Amber	Amber	Amber	Green
Derbyshire East Midlands	East Midlands	Red	Red	Amber	Amber
Devon South West	South West	Amber	Amber	Red	Amber
Doncaster South Yorkshire	South Yorkshire	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Dorset South West	South West	Amber	Amber	Amber	Green
Dudley West Midlands	West Midlands	Amber	Amber	Green	Red
Durham North East	North East	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Ealing London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
East Riding of Yorkshire Yorkshire and the Humber	Yorkshire and the Humber	Amber	Amber	Red	Amber
East Sussex South East	South East	Amber	Amber	Amber	Amber
Enfield London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Red
Essex East of England	East of England	Green	Green	Green	Amber
Gateshead Tyne and Wear	Tyne and Wear	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Gloucestershire South West	South West	Green	Green	Green	Amber
Greenwich London	London	Red	Amber	Red	Red
Hackney London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Halton North West	North West	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Hammersmith and Fulham London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Hampshire South East	South East	Amber	Green	Amber	Amber
Haringey London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Harrow London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Hartlepool North East	North East	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Havering London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Herefordshire West Midlands	West Midlands	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Hertfordshire East of England	East of England	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Hillingdon London	London	Green	Green	Green	Amber
Hounslow London	London	Amber	Green	Green	Amber
Isle of Wight South East	South East	Amber	Green	—	Amber
Isles of Scilly South West	South West	Amber	Green	Green	Red
Islington London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Kensington and Chelsea London	London	Red	Red	Amber	Amber
Kent South East	South East	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Hull Yorkshire and the Humber	Yorkshire and the Humber	Amber	Green	Green	Amber
Kingston upon Thames London	London	Amber	Red	Green	Red
Kirklees West Yorkshire	West Yorkshire	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Knowsley Merseyside	Merseyside	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Lambeth London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Lancashire North West	North West	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Leeds West Yorkshire	West Yorkshire	Green	Amber	Green	Green
Leicester East Midlands	East Midlands	Amber	Amber	Amber	Amber
Leicestershire East Midlands	East Midlands	Red	Amber	Red	Amber
Lewisham London	London	Green	Green	Green	Amber
Lincolnshire East Midlands	East Midlands	Amber	Amber	Amber	Amber
Liverpool Merseyside	Merseyside	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Luton East of England	East of England	Amber	Amber	Green	Green
Manchester Greater Manchester	Greater Manchester	Green	Amber	Green	Green
Medway South East	South East	Amber	Amber	Amber	Red
Merton London	London	Amber	Red	Green	Amber
Middlesbrough North East	North East	Green	Amber	Green	Green
Milton Keynes South East	South East	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Newcastle Tyne and Wear	Tyne and Wear	Amber	Amber	Green	Red
Newham London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Norfolk East of England	East of England	Amber	Amber	Amber	Amber
North East Lincolnshire Yorkshire and the Humber	Yorkshire and the Humber	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
North Lincolnshire Yorkshire and the Humber	Yorkshire and the Humber	Red	Amber	Red	Amber
North Northamptonshire East Midlands	East Midlands	Amber	Amber	Amber	Red
North Somerset South West	South West	Amber	Green	Amber	Green
North Tyneside Tyne and Wear	Tyne and Wear	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
North Yorkshire Yorkshire and the Humber	Yorkshire and the Humber	Amber	Amber	Amber	Amber
Northumberland North East	North East	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Nottingham East Midlands	East Midlands	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Nottinghamshire East Midlands	East Midlands	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Oldham Greater Manchester	Greater Manchester	Amber	Green	Green	Red
Oxfordshire South East	South East	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Peterborough East of England	East of England	Amber	Amber	Amber	Amber
Plymouth South West	South West	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Portsmouth South East	South East	Green	Green	Green	Green
Reading South East	South East	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Redbridge London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Redcar and Cleveland North East	North East	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Richmond upon Thames London	London	Amber	Red	Green	Amber
Rochdale Greater Manchester	Greater Manchester	Amber	Amber	Green	Red
Rotherham South Yorkshire	South Yorkshire	Green	Green	Green	Green
Rutland East Midlands	East Midlands	Amber	Amber	Amber	Amber
Salford Greater Manchester	Greater Manchester	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Sandwell West Midlands	West Midlands	Green	Amber	Green	Green
Sefton Merseyside	Merseyside	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Sheffield South Yorkshire	South Yorkshire	Amber	Green	—	Amber
Shropshire West Midlands	West Midlands	Amber	Amber	Amber	Amber
Slough South East	South East	Red	Amber	Red	Green
Solihull West Midlands	West Midlands	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Somerset South West	South West	Amber	Green	Red	Green
South Gloucestershire South West	South West	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
South Tyneside Tyne and Wear	Tyne and Wear	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Southampton South East	South East	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Southend-on-Sea East of England	East of England	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Southwark London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
St Helens Merseyside	Merseyside	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Staffordshire West Midlands	West Midlands	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Stockport Greater Manchester	Greater Manchester	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Stockton-on-Tees North East	North East	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Stoke-on-Trent West Midlands	West Midlands	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Suffolk East of England	East of England	Red	Amber	Red	Amber
Sunderland Tyne and Wear	Tyne and Wear	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Surrey South East	South East	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Sutton London	London	Amber	Red	Green	Red
Swindon South West	South West	Amber	Amber	Amber	Amber
Tameside Greater Manchester	Greater Manchester	Amber	Amber	Green	Red
Telford and Wrekin West Midlands	West Midlands	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Thurrock East of England	East of England	Amber	Amber	Green	Red
Torbay South West	South West	Amber	Green	Amber	Amber
Tower Hamlets London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Trafford Greater Manchester	Greater Manchester	Amber	Amber	Green	Red
Transport for London London	London	Amber	Green	Green	Amber
Wakefield West Yorkshire	West Yorkshire	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Walsall West Midlands	West Midlands	Amber	Amber	Green	Red
Waltham Forest London	London	Red	Red	Amber	Red
Wandsworth London	London	Amber	Red	Green	Amber
Warrington North West	North West	Amber	Green	Green	Amber
Warwickshire West Midlands	West Midlands	Amber	Amber	Amber	Amber
West Berkshire South East	South East	Green	Green	Green	Green
West Northamptonshire East Midlands	East Midlands	Red	Red	Amber	Red
West Sussex South East	South East	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Westminster London	London	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Westmorland and Furness North West	North West	Red	Amber	Amber	Amber
Wigan Greater Manchester	Greater Manchester	Green	Green	Green	Amber
Wiltshire South West	South West	Green	Green	Amber	Green
Windsor and Maidenhead South East	South East	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Wirral Merseyside	Merseyside	Amber	Amber	Green	Green
Wokingham South East	South East	Amber	Green	Amber	Green
Wolverhampton West Midlands	West Midlands	Amber	Amber	Green	Amber
Worcestershire West Midlands	West Midlands	Green	Amber	Green	Green

Data source: Department for Transport Local Highway Authority Road Maintenance Ratings 2025-2026. View official publication →

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