Source
Department for Transport — Local road maintenance ratings 2025 to 2026
amberOverall|green Conditionamber Spendamber Best Practice
3,300 Pothole Repairs in 2024/25 on an Amber-Rated Network
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council maintains 1,248.4km of roads — 935km of unclassified residential network (75%). The DfT rates the council AMBER overall despite a GREEN condition scorecard. Its own report records 3,300 pothole repairs in 2024/25, up 34% from 2021/22, while A-road RED condition rose from 2.5% to 3.4% and B/C roads from 3.1% to 4.2%. Section 58 still turns on your specific defect.
75%
Of reactive revenue on pothole repairs
Over the last five years, BCP estimates three-quarters of reactive revenue maintenance spend went on safety-defect pothole repairs — while projecting 3,179 more fills in 2025/26 and treating just 10.7 miles (1.4%) of the network preventatively this year.
1,248.4km of Roads — Mostly Residential
Network scale from BCP's June 2025 transparency report — where most pothole claims start
1,248.4km
Total carriageway
935.0km
Unclassified (U) roads
75% of the network
177.4km
B and C roads
136.0km
A roads
A35 corridor and principal routes
| Asset | Scale |
|---|---|
| Footways | 1,760.1km |
| Other public rights of way | 157.3km |
| Cycleways | 273.0km |
| Bridges and structures | 281 |
| Drainage gullies | 59,706 |
| Street lighting columns | 38,196* |
*Street lighting figures cover Bournemouth and Poole only — Christchurch street lighting remains under the Dorset PFI contract.
"Some of the road network has evolved over time, meaning traffic may have increased on a road and the construction not changed, increasing the rate of deterioration."
— BCP Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
What GREEN Condition Actually Shows
SCANNER survey data from BCP's transparency report — with U-roads measured on a four-year rotating cycle
Methodology caveat: BCP uses SCANNER laser surveys for condition data. U-roads are surveyed every year but only 25% of the network each year on a rotating four-area cycle — the same 25% slice in 2020 is surveyed again in 2024. A 12-month AI trial now covers 100% of U-roads; the council states the AI and SCANNER comparison "is likely to result in an increase in red condition due to the differences in surveys and condition ratings." From 2026/27, PAS 2161 will replace the current three-category system nationally.
A roads (136.0km) — surveyed annually
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2.5% | 18.3% | 79.2% |
| 2023 | 3.2% | 19.8% | 77.0% |
| 2024 | 3.4% | 22.2% | 74.4% |
A-road RED condition rose from 2.5% in 2022 to 3.4% in 2024 — a 36% relative increase. Principal routes such as the A35 still show majority green ratings, but deterioration on 136km of major roads feeds the DfT's mixed picture alongside AMBER spend and best-practice scorecards.
B and C roads (177.4km) — surveyed annually
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3.1% | 21.6% | 75.3% |
| 2023 | 3.9% | 24.1% | 72.0% |
| 2024 | 4.2% | 25.5% | 70.3% |
B/C RED condition rose from 3.1% to 4.2% between 2022 and 2024 — a 35% relative increase — while green-rated B/C roads fell from 75.3% to 70.3%.
Unclassified roads (935.0km) — where most claims start
| Year | Red |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 0.9% |
| 2023 | 0.9% |
| 2024 | 0.9% |
U-road RED has held at 0.9% since 2022 — roughly 8.4km of critical residential carriageway on published figures — but only 25% of U-roads are SCANNER-surveyed each year. The ongoing AI trial covering 100% of U-roads may reveal higher RED percentages when compared with historic SCANNER results.
"The AI trial and SCANNER comparison over the coming years is likely to result in an increase in red condition due to the differences in surveys and condition ratings."
— BCP Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
Following the Money
GREEN condition but AMBER spend — high preventative percentages alongside rising pothole volumes
| Year | DfT capital (£000s) | Capital spend (£000s) | Revenue spend (£000s) | Preventative | Reactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (proj.) | 7,478 | 7,478 | 2,138 | 78% | 22% |
| 2024/25 | 5,390 | 6,764 | 1,855 | 77% | 23% |
| 2023/24 | 6,241 | 8,227 | 1,633 | 83% | 17% |
| 2022/23 | 4,786 | 7,234 | 2,388 | 73% | 27% |
| 2021/22 | 4,786 | 7,646 | 1,502 | 82% | 18% |
| 2020/21 | 10,773* | 4,998 | 1,804 | 75% | 25% |
*2020/21 DfT allocation includes £4.184m Challenge Fund awarded for schemes delivered across five years. Spending figures verified from DfT Annex B after initial publication, per the council's report.
Why condition is GREEN
SCANNER data shows majority green ratings on A and B/C roads, U-road RED at 0.9%, and BCP reports 76.5 miles (122.4km) of preventative surfacing over the last five years. The DfT condition scorecard reflects this network-level picture.
Why overall is still AMBER
Spend and best-practice scorecards are both AMBER. Despite 77–83% preventative shares in recent years, pothole repairs rose to 3,300 in 2024/25, A/B RED condition is trending up, 58 bridges (21%) are in poor or very poor condition, and U-road condition relies on partial annual surveys until the AI trial completes.
Rising Pothole Repair Counts
Estimated safety-defect pothole repairs from BCP's transparency report
| Year | Potholes filled | Change vs 2021/22 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 2,806 | — |
| 2021/22 | 2,463 | Baseline |
| 2022/23 | 2,593 | +5.3% |
| 2023/24 | 3,290 | +33.6% |
| 2024/25 | 3,300 | +34.0% |
| 2025/26 (projected) | 3,179 | Council estimate |
"Over the last 5 years, BCP have used an estimated 75% of the reactive revenue maintenance spend on safety defect pothole repairs."
— BCP Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
Roughly nine patches a day
3,300 pothole repairs in 2024/25 works out to about 9.0 patches per day across 1,248.4km. That volume of reactive safety work sits alongside 77% preventative spend — evidence that defects still form faster than surfacing programmes prevent them, especially on routes where traffic has outgrown original construction.
Inspections, Surveys and Section 58
How BCP says it knows the condition of its network — and where gaps appear
Survey frequency
- • A roads: SCANNER surveys annually (136.0km)
- • B/C roads: SCANNER surveys annually (177.4km)
- • U roads: 25% of network surveyed each year on a four-area rotating cycle
- • AI trial: 12-month trial covering 100% of U-roads underway
- • Bridges: 281 structures — 58 (21%) in poor or very poor condition
Safety inspections
BCP inspects all reported potholes against investigatory criteria in its highway inspection policy. Urgent defects are repaired first; others are recorded for wider maintenance schemes. Reporting a pothole does not substitute for an insurance claim — but it creates a notice record.
Reactive safety-defect records are used alongside SCANNER data to prioritise maintenance programmes.
Section 41 vs Section 58
Under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, BCP 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 a green condition scorecard.
- • Was your U-road on the current year's 25% SCANNER slice — or between survey cycles?
- • Did the defect meet intervention criteria during routine safety inspections?
- • Were there prior reports (FixMyStreet, council portal) giving actual notice?
- • Does photographic evidence show defect age beyond the inspection interval?
"Our aim is to use predominantly preventative maintenance to keep the reactive maintenance to a minimum, whilst meeting our statutory duties."
— BCP Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
Planned Work 2025/26
What BCP says it will deliver this financial year
10.7 miles
Preventative carriageway work
3.3 miles resurfacing + 7.4 miles surface treatment
16
Footway schemes
4
Bridges and structures
3,179
Potholes projected
"The ethos for delivering the highway asset management service is prevention is better than cure. An annual preventative maintenance programme slows the rate of condition deterioration over time which is demonstrated by the condition data and aligns to this ethos and best practice."
— BCP Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
Coverage maths
BCP plans 10.7 miles (17.1km) of preventative carriageway work on a 775.6-mile network — roughly 1.4% in a single year. Published RED condition on A and B/C roads alone totals about 12.1km requiring attention. The council projects 3,179 pothole repairs while treating a fraction of the network preventatively — reactive workload remains the dominant safety mechanism on residential roads surveyed only in quarterly slices.
What BCP Acknowledges
Verbatim admissions from the June 2025 transparency report
On bridge condition
"Currently 58 (21%) Bridges & Structures are in poor or very poor condition. 18 of these 58 Bridges & Structures (31%) are part of the resilient network."
— BCP Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
On reactive pothole dominance
"Over the last 5 years, BCP have used an estimated 75% of the reactive revenue maintenance spend on safety defect pothole repairs."
— BCP Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
On evolving traffic loads
"Some of the road network has evolved over time, meaning traffic may have increased on a road and the construction not changed, increasing the rate of deterioration."
— BCP Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
Claiming Against an Amber-Rated Council
Honest assessment: BCP is not Waltham Forest — here is how the mixed scorecards change your approach
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ GREEN DfT condition scorecard on published SCANNER data
- ✓ 73–83% preventative maintenance share in recent years
- ✓ 122.4km of preventative surfacing over the last five years
- ✓ Full SCANNER coverage on A and B/C roads annually
- ✓ Documented asset management aligned to Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure guidance
Expect a structured Section 58 defence on principal A-roads where green ratings remain above 74%.
What works in yours
- ✗ AMBER overall, spend and best-practice scorecards from DfT
- ✗ 935km of U-roads — 75% of network — only 25% SCANNER-surveyed per year
- ✗ 3,300 pothole repairs in 2024/25 — up 34% since 2021/22
- ✗ A-road RED up 36% and B/C RED up 35% relative (2022–2024)
- ✗ Council warns AI surveys will likely show higher U-road RED than SCANNER
- ✗ 75% of reactive revenue spent on pothole repairs over five years
The winning strategy here is specificity
Against a council with a GREEN condition scorecard and high preventative percentages, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole — proof of actual notice beyond network surveys
- • Photos showing defect size, depth and age (weathered edges, previous patching)
- • Road class — on a U-road, the four-year partial survey cycle is your strongest structural argument
- • Location on routes where the council admits traffic has outgrown original construction
Mac builds exactly this case: prior-report search, photo assessment, and citations from BCP's own transparency data where it helps you — without pretending the council is failing on every metric.
Report a pothole to BCP 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. You cannot use the reporting form to make an insurance claim.
Report a pothole — bcpcouncil.gov.ukHit a pothole in Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole?
Mixed DfT scorecards demand a precise claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No U-road partial survey-cycle argument
- • No prior-report search
- • No AMBER overall scorecard challenge
Professional claim pack
- ✅ 935km U-road survey-cycle gap documented
- ✅ 3,300 pothole repairs in 2024/25 cited
- ✅ A/B RED deterioration trend referenced
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to BCP
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently asked questions
Does BCP's GREEN condition scorecard mean I cannot claim?
No. The Department for Transport rates BCP's condition GREEN, but the overall rating is still AMBER and Section 58 turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired. BCP filled 3,300 potholes in 2024/25 — up 34% from 2021/22 — A-road RED condition rose from 2.5% to 3.4% between 2022 and 2024, and B/C roads from 3.1% to 4.2%. Aggregate condition scores do not prove your pothole was caught in time.
BCP reports 75–83% preventative maintenance — doesn't that mean they are trying?
High preventative percentages do not automatically prevent potholes. BCP spent an estimated 83% on preventative work in 2023/24, yet still filled 3,290 potholes that year — 34% more than in 2021/22. The council itself states that over the last five years an estimated 75% of reactive revenue maintenance spend went on safety-defect pothole repairs alone. Results on A and B/C roads show RED condition rising despite the stated "prevention is better than cure" ethos.
Why did pothole repairs rise 34% between 2021/22 and 2024/25?
BCP's transparency report records 2,463 pothole repairs in 2021/22 and 3,300 in 2024/25. Over the same period, A-road RED condition rose from 2.5% to 3.4% and B/C roads from 3.1% to 4.2%. The council admits some roads were not built for current traffic levels and that construction has not always been upgraded — accelerating deterioration on routes that now carry heavier traffic.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
Unclassified (U) roads make up 935.0km — 75% of BCP's 1,248.4km carriageway network. The council surveys 25% of U-roads each year on a rotating four-area cycle, not the full residential network annually. Published U-road RED condition has held at 0.9% since 2022, but a 12-month AI trial covering 100% of U-roads is underway — and the council warns comparison with SCANNER data is likely to show an increase in RED condition.
What does it mean that 75% of BCP's reactive revenue goes to pothole repairs?
It means three-quarters of reactive revenue maintenance spend over the last five years has been fixing potholes — not drainage cleansing, vegetation, signs or other reactive work. That contradicts the council's stated aim to "use predominantly preventative maintenance to keep the reactive maintenance to a minimum." It is evidence of a network still producing safety-critical defects at scale, not proof your specific defect was unavoidable.
BCP is trialling AI surveys on U-roads — does that help or hurt my claim?
Potentially both, depending on timing. BCP states the AI trial and SCANNER comparison "is likely to result in an increase in red condition due to the differences in surveys and condition ratings." That suggests current 0.9% RED on U-roads may understate defects detected under the new method — which can support arguments that inspection records lag reality. For your claim, prior reports, photos showing defect age and the road's place in the four-year U-road survey cycle matter more than future survey technology.
How do I report a pothole to BCP Council?
Report potholes via BCP's online form at bcpcouncil.gov.uk — you cannot use the reporting form to make an insurance claim. Prior reports of the same defect strengthen a claim by demonstrating the council had 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 | BCP Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (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 GREEN; spend AMBER; 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.