Source
Department for Transport — Local road maintenance ratings 2025 to 2026
amberOverall|amber Conditiongreen Spendamber Best Practice
4,611 Pothole Repairs in 2024/25 on London's Largest Road Network
Barnet earns AMBER DfT scorecards on overall performance and condition, GREEN on spend — yet its June 2025 transparency report records 4,611 pothole repairs in 2024/25, up 39% from 2021/22, on a 723km network carrying London's heaviest principal-road traffic. Preventative spending is projected at 89% for 2025/26 while U-road RED condition doubled from 5% to 12% in one survey cycle. Section 58 still turns on your specific defect.
723km
Carriageway — largest in London
592km unclassified residential roads (82%), principal roads at 50,000 average daily vehicle movements and 1,000 HGV movements — both highest in London per the council's report.
Department for Transport Scorecards 2025/26
Official ratings from the DfT local road maintenance publication — Barnet is one of 125 amber-rated authorities
| Scorecard | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall | amber |
| Condition | amber |
| Spend | green |
| Wider best practice | amber |
Condition data caveat: Barnet's transparency report states that for 2020 and 2021, condition data was impacted by Transport for London stopping and subsequently changing condition surveys in London. Published RAG percentages begin from 2022. Year-on-year swings — such as A-road green condition falling from 74% in 2023 to 52% in 2024 — should be read in that context.
Source: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026
723km of Roads — London's Largest Borough Network
Network scale from Barnet's transparency report published 23 June 2025
723km
Total carriageway
Largest in London
592km
Unclassified (U) roads
82% of the network
75km
A roads
96km principal roads total
56km
B and C roads
| Asset | Scale |
|---|---|
| Footways (including footpaths) | 1,290km |
| Public rights of way | 41km |
| Cycleways | 27km |
| Highway structures (72 road bridges) | 78 structures — £56.7m GRC |
| Asset valuation (carriageway and footway) | £1.9bn (up from £1.6bn) |
"Barnet's principal roads carry the highest traffic volumes in all London at 50,000 average daily vehicle movements. Barnet's principal roads carry the highest volume of HGVs in all London at 1,000 average daily vehicle movements."
— London Borough of Barnet Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (23 June 2025)
What AMBER Condition Actually Shows
Annual AI condition surveys — with 2020/21 data gaps from TfL survey changes
Survey caveat: Barnet commissions an annual AI condition survey augmented by visual assessment. The council states 2020 and 2021 condition figures were impacted by TfL stopping and subsequently changing condition surveys in London. From 2026/27, PAS 2161 will replace the current three-category RAG system with five condition categories nationally.
A roads (75km)
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 9% | 47% | 44% |
| 2023 | 10% | 16% | 74% |
| 2024 | 12% | 36% | 52% |
Green-rated A-roads fell 22 percentage points in one year — from 74% in 2023 to 52% in 2024. RED condition rose from 10% to 12% in the same period.
B and C roads (56km)
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 13% | 51% | 36% |
| 2023 | 13% | 31% | 55% |
| 2024 | 14% | 37% | 49% |
14% of B/C roads were in RED condition in 2024 — roads the council's own survey classifies as "should be considered for maintenance."
Unclassified roads (592km) — RED condition only published
| Year | Red |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 11% |
| 2023 | 5% |
| 2024 | 12% |
U-road RED condition more than doubled from 5% in 2023 to 12% in 2024 — roughly 71km of residential network officially needing substantial maintenance at the latest survey.
"Compared to the previous understanding of the network (pre 2023/24), Barnet-maintained highways have increased significantly by over 90km (13%)."
— London Borough of Barnet Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (23 June 2025)
Following the Money
GREEN spend — capital investment tripled since 2020/21, yet pothole patch counts remain elevated
| Year | DfT capital (£000s) | Capital spend (£000s) | Revenue spend (£000s) | Preventative | Reactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (proj.) | 1,198 | 26,186 | 3,233 | 89% | 11% |
| 2024/25 | 368 | 27,024 | 3,478 | 89% | 11% |
| 2023/24 | 256 | 20,213 | 3,094 | 87% | 13% |
| 2022/23 | — | 12,474 | 4,018 | 76% | 24% |
| 2021/22 | — | 11,544 | 3,068 | 79% | 21% |
| 2020/21 | — | 10,308 | 2,062 | 83% | 17% |
Why spend is GREEN
Capital spend rose from £10.3m in 2020/21 to £27.0m in 2024/25, backed by a £97m capital allocation approved in March 2023 for the Improving Barnet's Roads and Pavements programme. Projected 2025/26 capital spend of £26.2m is more than twenty times the £1.198m DfT allocation.
Why claims still happen
Even with 89% preventative spend, the council states approximately 50% of the reactive budget goes to pothole repairs or extensive patching. Total highways spend does not prove every defect was caught within inspection intervals on a 723km network where U-road RED condition jumped to 12%.
Rising Pothole Patch Counts
Estimated potholes filled — from Barnet's transparency report
| Year | Potholes filled | Change vs 2021/22 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 3,320 | Baseline |
| 2022/23 | 3,668 | +10.5% |
| 2023/24 | 4,694 | +41.4% |
| 2024/25 | 4,611 | +38.9% |
| 2025/26 (projected) | 4,500 | Council estimate |
"Approximately 50% of the reactive budget is spent on pothole repairs or more extensive patching of the carriageway."
— London Borough of Barnet Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (23 June 2025)
Roughly twelve patches a day
4,611 pothole repairs in 2024/25 works out to roughly 12.6 patches per day across 723km. A council claiming 89% preventative spending while filling that volume of safety-critical defects is one where individual potholes routinely form between resurfacing schemes — especially on 592km of U-roads.
Inspections, Surveys and Section 58
How Barnet says it knows the condition of its network — and where gaps appear
Survey and programme selection
- • Annual AI condition survey augmented by visual assessment and deterioration modelling
- • Independent condition survey informs the Improving Barnet's Roads and Pavements programme
- • 2025/26 plan: 12 miles of carriageway resurfacing and 3.4 miles of footway relay
- • Council contributing to DfT PAS 2161 development for future AI-led monitoring
- • Trialling Thermal Road Repair, Multihog, Roadmender and Pothole Pro for reactive repairs
Statutory duty
Barnet cites Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 as imposing a duty to maintain highways maintainable at public expense. The council adopted a Highways Infrastructure Asset Management Plan in 2022 and a Highway Investment Strategy in March 2024, targeting planned over reactive maintenance.
In 2025/26 the council forecasts circa £3.75m reactive versus circa £16.5m planned — a 23% reactive share, within the council's stated typical 20% to 25% differential.
Section 41 vs Section 58
Under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, Barnet must maintain public highways. To defend a claim under Section 58, it must show a reasonable system for inspecting and repairing the specific defect — not just publish an amber DfT scorecard or cite £97m of planned investment.
- • Was your road on the annual independent condition survey — and when was it last assessed?
- • Did the defect meet intervention criteria during routine safety inspections?
- • Were there prior reports via the council portal giving actual notice?
- • Does photographic evidence show defect age beyond the inspection interval?
"The London Borough of Barnet highway network is the largest, most valuable, and most visible community asset and is probably the most used of all our services, used by nearly all residents daily."
— London Borough of Barnet Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (23 June 2025)
Planned Work 2025/26
What Barnet says it will deliver this financial year — Cabinet approved 5 February 2025
12 miles
Carriageway resurfacing
3.4 miles
Footway relay
Plus 42 footway patching schemes
2
Major structure works
Sanders Lane East and Devonshire Road bridges
~4,500
Potholes expected
Coverage maths
Twelve miles of carriageway resurfacing treats roughly 2.7% of Barnet's 723km network in a single year. The remaining 97%+ relies on reactive patching, routine inspections and the annual condition survey to catch deterioration — on a network where U-road RED condition already sits at 12% and principal roads carry London's heaviest traffic.
What Barnet Acknowledges
Verbatim admissions from the transparency report published 23 June 2025
On network scale and reassessment
"Compared to the previous understanding of the network (pre 2023/24), Barnet-maintained highways have increased significantly by over 90km (13%). Discounting footpaths, Barnet's carriageway network (723km) alone has grown approximately 30km (4%) and is one of the largest in London."
— London Borough of Barnet Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (23 June 2025)
On reactive maintenance spend
"Approximately 50% of the reactive budget is spent on pothole repairs or more extensive patching of the carriageway. Of the remaining 50%, the majority of this is spent on footway patching, with less than 5% spent on other items such as bollards and pedestrian guard railing."
— London Borough of Barnet Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (23 June 2025)
On resident enquiries
"In 2024/25, the Highways service received 19,202 resident enquiries on a range of topics. 92.7% of resident enquiries were responded to within 10 working days."
— London Borough of Barnet Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (23 June 2025)
Claiming Against an AMBER-Rated Borough
Honest assessment: Barnet invests heavily — but condition volatility and patch volumes tell a mixed story
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ GREEN spend scorecard — £26.2m projected capital vs £1.198m DfT allocation
- ✓ £97m Improving Barnet's Roads programme from March 2023
- ✓ 89% preventative spend in 2024/25 and projected for 2025/26
- ✓ Annual AI condition surveys and documented asset management plan
- ✓ 12 miles carriageway resurfacing planned for 2025/26
Expect a well-resourced Section 58 defence citing surveys, portal reports and the £97m investment programme.
What works in yours
- ✗ AMBER overall and condition scorecards from the DfT
- ✗ 592km of U-roads — 82% of network — with RED condition at 12%
- ✗ A-road green condition fell 22 points in one year (74% to 52%)
- ✗ 4,611 pothole patches in 2024/25 — up 39% since 2021/22
- ✗ 50% of reactive budget consumed by pothole repairs and patching
- ✗ Network reassessment found 90km more highways than previously understood
The winning strategy here is specificity
Against a borough with GREEN spend and a £97m resurfacing programme, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect and road:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole via the council portal — proof of actual notice
- • Photos showing defect size, depth and visible age (weathered edges, previous patching)
- • Road class — on a U-road, 12% RED condition and 592km of residential network is structural context
- • Whether your street was on the 2025/26 programmed works list or outside the 2.7% resurfacing coverage
Mac builds exactly this case: prior-report search, photo assessment, and citations from Barnet's own transparency data — including the prevention-spending versus pothole-volume pattern — where they help you.
Report a Pothole to Barnet Council
Reporting a defect creates a record the council had notice. Do this before claiming — and tell us when you reported it so we can reference it in your pack. Non-urgent reports are usually investigated within 10 working days; call 020 8359 2000 for urgent damage. Note: the A41, A406 and M1 are not Barnet-maintained.
Report road or pavement damage — barnet.gov.ukHit a Pothole in Barnet?
London's largest network demands a precise claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No U-road deterioration context
- • No prior-report search
- • No prevention-paradox data cited
Professional claim pack
- ✅ 12% U-road RED condition documented
- ✅ 4,611 pothole repairs in 2024/25 cited
- ✅ 89% prevention vs rising patch counts argued
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Barnet
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently asked questions
Does Barnet's AMBER DfT rating mean the council will pay my claim?
Not automatically. AMBER means Barnet performs below the best authorities on combined condition, spend and best-practice scorecards — but Section 58 turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired. Barnet's June 2025 transparency report records 4,611 pothole repairs in 2024/25, projects 4,500 in 2025/26, and shows volatile condition swings on principal roads. Those figures can support a claim when tied to your specific road and defect — they do not guarantee success on their own.
Barnet has a GREEN spend rating — can I still claim?
Yes. The DfT Spend scorecard is GREEN because Barnet's projected 2025/26 capital spend is £26.186m against a DfT allocation of £1.198m — more than twenty times the grant. Section 58 is about the individual defect, not aggregate budgets. Overall and condition ratings are both AMBER, and best practice is AMBER.
Why did pothole repairs rise 39% despite 89% preventative spending?
Barnet filled 3,320 potholes in 2021/22 and 4,611 in 2024/25 — a 39% rise while preventative maintenance share climbed from 79% to 89%. The council's own report states approximately 50% of the reactive budget goes to pothole repairs or extensive patching. Rising patch counts alongside maximum preventative percentages indicate defects still form across London's largest borough network — not proof your specific defect was unavoidable, but evidence of sustained reactive workload.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
Unclassified roads make up 592km — 82% of Barnet's 723km carriageway network. The council publishes RED-condition percentages for U-roads only: 11% in 2022, 5% in 2023, and 12% in 2024. That means roughly 71km of residential network was in RED condition at the latest survey. Most Barnet pothole damage happens on these streets. Prior reports via the council portal and photos showing defect age matter more than network-wide averages.
Is Barnet responsible for the A41, North Circular or M1?
No. Barnet's pothole reporting guidance states the A41 and A406 (North Circular) are maintained by Transport for London, and the M1 by National Highways. Private roads are the responsibility of their owners. If your incident was on a Barnet-maintained street, your claim goes to London Borough of Barnet — check the Barnet Highways Register if unsure.
What does the 2023/24 network reassessment mean for my claim?
Barnet reassessed its highway asset in 2023/24 and found Barnet-maintained highways had increased by over 90km (13%) compared with the previous understanding — carriageway length alone grew approximately 30km (4%) to 723km. The council states this was aligned to CIPFA valuation methodology. For a claim, the point is whether your specific road was on an inspection and maintenance programme — not whether the asset register grew — but the reassessment shows maintenance planning was previously based on an incomplete picture of the network.
How do I report a pothole to Barnet Council?
Report road or pavement damage online at barnet.gov.uk. The council asks for a map pin, photo if available, and your contact details; non-urgent reports are usually investigated within 10 working days. Urgent damage should be reported by calling 020 8359 2000. Prior reports of the same defect strengthen a claim by demonstrating notice before your incident. Fixtyer searches for existing reports and attaches them to your claim pack.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | London Borough of Barnet Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (23 June 2025). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Reusable evidence record
Council rating evidence and provenance
Rating period: 2025-2026 · Reviewed 19 July 2026
Observed DfT fact
Overall AMBER; condition AMBER; spend GREEN; best practice AMBER.
Cautious interpretation
This is network-level context. The rating does not determine liability for a particular incident or establish what was known about a specific defect.
Correction status: No correction recorded.