Source
Department for Transport — Local road maintenance ratings 2025 to 2026
amberOverall|amber Conditiongreen Spendgreen Best Practice
11,761 Pothole Repairs in 2024/25 on an Amber-Rated Network
Bradford earns AMBER DfT scorecards for overall performance and road condition, with GREEN on spend and best practice. Its own transparency report records 11,761 pothole fills in 2024/25, up 83% from 2020/21, while 76% of unclassified roads sit in red or amber condition. Section 58 still turns on your specific defect.
82
Years per U-road resurfacing cycle
Bradford plans 18km of unclassified road resurfacing in 2025/26 against 1,474km of residential network — 1.2% annually — while 213km of U-roads are already in red condition.
1,855km of Roads — Mostly Residential
Network scale from Bradford's June 2025 transparency report — where pothole claims actually happen
1,855km
Total carriageway
1,474km
Unclassified (U) roads
79% of the network
381km
A, B and C roads
183km A · 78km B · 120km C
3,042km
Footways
Plus 1,074km public rights of way
Funding caveat: DfT capital funding for Bradford is administered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority as part of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), a five-year settlement from 2022/23 to 2026/27. The £13.20m 2025/26 allocation funds planned preventative work; reactive pothole filling is funded from separate council revenue budgets (£4.77m projected for 2025/26).
"Our unclassified roads make up 79% of our network and we will continue to prioritise the reduction of percentages in the Red and Amber categories over the near term and increase those in the Green category."
— Bradford Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
What AMBER Condition Actually Shows
HD camera surveys each spring or summer — red, amber and green grades reported to the DfT annually
Survey caveat: Bradford employs an external asset management company to survey all classified and unclassified roads annually. Condition grades reflect damage types including potholes, cracking, rutting and chipping loss at the time of survey — not necessarily the condition on the day of your incident. From 2026/27, PAS 2161 will replace the current three-category system with five condition bands nationally.
A roads (183.1km)
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 7.23% | 59.16% | 33.61% |
| 2022 | 6.87% | 64.03% | 28.73% |
| 2024 | 6.17% | 62.61% | 31.22% |
A-road red condition has fallen since 2021, but amber-category A-roads remain above 62% — principal routes where maintenance may be required soon still dominate the class.
B and C roads (197.6km)
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 11.08% | 60.84% | 28.08% |
| 2022 | 9.15% | 63.90% | 26.76% |
| 2024 | 8.03% | 65.40% | 26.57% |
B/C red condition improved from 11.08% in 2020 to 8.03% in 2024, but amber share worsened again in 2024 and remains higher than 2020 — fewer green-rated B/C roads than five years ago.
Unclassified roads (1,474km) — where most claims start
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 18.79% | 57.32% | 23.89% |
| 2022 | 16.60% | 57.95% | 22.22% |
| 2024 | 14.48% | 61.61% | 23.91% |
Red U-road share fell from 18.79% to 14.48% over five years, but amber U-roads rose from 57.32% to 61.61% — roughly 908km where maintenance may be required soon, on roads where safety inspections are annual and pothole damage claims are most common.
Following the Money
GREEN spend — but reactive maintenance still accounts for over a quarter of highways budgets
| Year | DfT capital (£) | Capital spend (£) | Revenue spend (£) | Preventative | Reactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (proj.) | 13,204,870 | 13,204,870 | 4,770,000 | 73% | 27% |
| 2024/25 | 11,464,965 | 15,288,291 | 3,974,648 | 79% | 21% |
| 2023/24 | 13,888,071 | 12,296,573 | 4,469,519 | 73% | 27% |
| 2022/23 | 10,515,200 | 8,851,841 | 4,866,173 | 65% | 35% |
| 2021/22 | 8,055,256 | 9,303,652 | 4,825,913 | 66% | 34% |
| 2020/21 | 10,228,187 | 8,548,992 | 4,414,734 | 66% | 34% |
Why spend is GREEN
Projected 2025/26 capital spend matches the full £13.20m DfT allocation — up 64% from the £8.05m allocation in 2021/22 — with preventative maintenance share rising from 66% to a projected 73%. The council also plans 75km of surface dressing and £3.34m of micro asphalt and surface dressing work in 2025/26.
Why claims still happen
Reactive works budget is £4.77m for 2025/26 — pothole filling, emergency repairs and gritting. Pothole repairs cost £194,756 in 2024/25, equating to 9.5% of the reactive roads and footways budget. Aggregate capital investment does not prove every defect was caught within annual inspection intervals on your street.
Rising Pothole Patch Counts
Total potholes filled — following reports to the contact centre and identification by highway inspectors
| Year | Potholes filled | Change vs 2020/21 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 6,411 | Baseline |
| 2021/22 | 8,490 | +32.4% |
| 2022/23 | 10,285 | +60.4% |
| 2023/24 | 13,289 | +107.3% |
| 2024/25 | 11,761 | +83.4% |
| 2025/26 (estimated) | ~11,000 | Council rough estimate |
"It is impossible to estimate the number of potholes we are likely to fill within the financial year but a rough estimate would be around 11,000. Whilst preventative works are helping to reduce the overall numbers of potholes on our network, heavy rainfall events this summer along with a cold and/or wet winter, will potentially cause potholes to form on those roads that have not received preventative work."
— Bradford Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
Over 32 patches a day
11,761 pothole repairs in 2024/25 works out to roughly 32 patches per day across 1,855km. Peak volume hit 13,289 in 2023/24. The council uses a risk-based approach aligned to Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure — no fixed minimum pothole size, with investigatory dimensions of 300mm by 40mm on carriageways.
The 82-year U-road cycle
Bradford plans 18km of unclassified road resurfacing in 2025/26 from a £3.6m allocation — 1.2% of the 1,474km U-road network. At that rate, each residential road is resurfaced roughly once every 82 years, while 213km of U-roads are already in red condition requiring maintenance now.
Clearing the current red backlog alone would take nearly 12 years at 18km per year — assuming no additional roads deteriorate during that period.
Inspections, Surveys and Section 58
How Bradford says it knows the condition of its network — and where gaps appear
Survey and inspection frequency
- • Condition surveys: annual HD camera surveys on all road classes each spring or summer
- • City and town centres: monthly safety inspections
- • B roads and bus routes: quarterly safety inspections
- • Unclassified roads: annual safety inspections
- • Gullies: cyclic cleansing regime across 98,864 gullies
Pothole intervention
Bradford uses investigatory dimensions of 300mm horizontal and 40mm depth on carriageways, and 150mm by 25mm on footways — but fills smaller defects where tripping or injury risk is high.
Pothole filling follows reports to the contact centre and identification by inspectors. Defect locations with prior vehicle damage or personal injury accidents are prioritised in annual maintenance programmes.
Section 41 vs Section 58
Under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, Bradford 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 with green spend.
- • Was your U-road inspected within the past 12 months?
- • Did the defect meet intervention criteria during routine safety inspections?
- • Were there prior reports (My Requests, FixMyStreet) giving actual notice?
- • Does photographic evidence show defect age beyond the inspection interval?
"However, if there is a high probability of risk (e.g. a pedestrian tripping/falling) and a potentially high impact on the pedestrian (e.g. significant injury,) but the pothole is less than these dimensions, it will be filled."
— Bradford Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
What Bradford Acknowledges
Verbatim admissions from the June 2025 transparency report
On climate and pothole formation
"Extremes of temperatures in the summer and winter months and increasing rainfall events and storms will all have the potential to cause damage to roads, footways and bridges, and for drainage systems (including gullies) to be overwhelmed. These extremes, coupled with the traditional freezing and thawing process, will accelerate the formation of defect such as potholes."
— Bradford Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
On reactive vs planned maintenance
"Although there will always be a requirement for reactive work, the Council continues to work hard to reduce the amount."
— Bradford Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
On U-road priorities
"The percentage of Unclassified roads where maintenance may be required soon (Amber category) has increased over the 5-year period and is now higher than in 2020."
— Bradford Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
Claiming Against an Amber-Rated Council
Honest assessment: Bradford invests through CRSTS and publishes strong best-practice plans — here is how that changes your approach
What Works In The Council's Favour
- ✓ GREEN spend and best-practice DfT scorecards
- ✓ £13.20m capital allocation fully deployed in 2025/26 with 73% preventative
- ✓ U-road red condition fell from 18.79% to 14.48% between 2020 and 2024
- ✓ Annual HD camera surveys on all road classes
- ✓ Documented lifecycle planning aligned to Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure
Expect a prepared Section 58 defence backed by published inspection regimes. Generic neglect arguments will not land.
What Works In Yours
- ✗ AMBER overall and condition DfT scorecards
- ✗ 1,474km of U-roads — 79% of network — with 76% in red or amber at last survey
- ✗ 11,761 pothole fills in 2024/25 — up 83% since 2020/21
- ✗ Council admits amber U-road share is higher than in 2020
- ✗ 18km annual U-road resurfacing against 213km red backlog — 82-year cycle
- ✗ ~11,000 pothole fills still projected for 2025/26 despite preventative work
The Winning Strategy Here Is Specificity
Against a council with GREEN spend and annual condition surveys, 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, cite the 14.48% red rate and annual inspection interval
- • Whether the defect persisted long enough to have been found by the council's own regime
Mac builds exactly this case: prior-report search, photo assessment, and citations from Bradford's own transparency data where it helps you — without pretending the council is failing on every measure.
Report a Pothole to Bradford 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.
Report a pothole — bradford.gov.ukHit a Pothole in Bradford?
An amber-rated network with rising patch counts demands a precise claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY Claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No 83% pothole increase cited
- • No prior-report search
- • No 82-year U-road cycle argument
Professional Claim Pack
- ✅ 76% U-road red/amber condition documented
- ✅ 11,761 pothole repairs in 2024/25 cited
- ✅ 82-year resurfacing cycle argued
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Bradford
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bradford's AMBER DfT rating strengthen my claim?
It can, but no rating guarantees success. The Department for Transport rates Bradford AMBER overall and on condition, with GREEN on spend and best practice. That AMBER condition scorecard reflects network-level concerns — including 76% of unclassified roads in red or amber condition at the 2024 survey. Section 58 still turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired.
Bradford says the pothole was below their intervention criteria. Does that matter?
Not necessarily if it damaged your vehicle. Bradford's transparency report states there is no minimum pothole size — investigatory dimensions are 300mm by 40mm on carriageways — but potholes below those dimensions will still be filled where there is a high probability of risk. A defect that damaged your vehicle clearly posed a risk. Intervention dimensions do not override the duty to maintain roads reasonably under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980.
What if my pothole was on an unclassified residential road?
Unclassified roads make up 1,474.29km — 79% of Bradford's 1,855km carriageway network. At the 2024 condition survey, 14.48% of U-roads were in red category and 61.61% in amber — roughly 213km needing maintenance now and 908km that may need it soon. Safety inspections on U-roads are annual. If your incident fell between surveys, network-level percentages may not capture the defect on your street.
Why are pothole repairs up 83% while preventative spending is rising?
Bradford filled 6,411 potholes in 2020/21 and 11,761 in 2024/25 — an 83% rise. Over the same period, estimated preventative maintenance share climbed from 66% to a projected 73%, and DfT capital allocation rose from £8.05m to £13.20m. The council's own report notes amber-condition U-roads have increased over five years and estimates around 11,000 pothole fills for 2025/26 despite preventative work — evidence that reactive workload remains high.
Bradford has GREEN spend and best-practice scorecards — can I still claim?
Yes. GREEN spend reflects projected 2025/26 capital spend of £13.20m matching the full DfT allocation via the West Yorkshire Combined Authority CRSTS settlement, with 73% classed as preventative. GREEN best practice reflects Bradford's published plans on innovation, decarbonisation and footway maintenance. Neither scorecard proves the individual pothole was known and repaired within inspection intervals on your road.
What if the pothole has been repaired since my incident?
You can still claim. A subsequent repair can evidence that the council acknowledged a defect existed. Bradford filled 11,761 potholes in 2024/25 — reactive patching that does not automatically defeat a claim if the defect existed long enough to have been found by routine inspection or prior report before your damage.
How do I report a pothole to Bradford Council?
Report potholes and uneven surfaces via Bradford's My Requests portal at bradford.gov.uk. You will need the street name, surface type and pothole size. 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 | Bradford 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 AMBER; spend GREEN; best practice GREEN.
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.