Source
Department for Transport — Local road maintenance ratings 2025 to 2026
amberOverall|amber Conditiongreen Spendred Best Practice
~6,000 Pothole Repairs Projected After 3,998 in 2024/25
Brent earns AMBER DfT scorecards on overall performance and condition, GREEN on spend — yet RED on best practice. Its June 2025 transparency report forecasts ~6,000 pothole repairs in 2025/26 (up from 3,998), allocates £0 new budget for injection patching, and admits classified roads deteriorated in 2023/24 despite recent investment. Section 58 still turns on your specific defect.
391km
Unclassified roads — 83% of the network
12% in RED condition at the latest survey, on a £4.5 billion highway asset where the council plans 7.4 miles of combined resurfacing in 2025/26.
469.5km of Roads — Mostly Residential
Network scale from Brent's June 2025 transparency report (Revision A, 30 June 2025)
469.5km
Total carriageway
391.4km
Unclassified (U) roads
83% of the network
46.6km
A roads
31.5km
B and C roads
| Asset | Scale |
|---|---|
| Footways | 847km |
| Bridges and structures | 90 (including 60 bridges) |
| Highway gullies | 20,718 |
| Streetlights | 22,848 |
| Estimated asset value | ~£4.5 billion |
"To keep on top of the deterioration of our asset, the council must invest continually in maintenance... As time goes on, roads and pavements that are currently in good condition will deteriorate, just like any physical asset such as a house or a vehicle."
— Brent Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025, Revision A)
Deterioration After Investment
Five years of condition banding from Brent's own surveys — A and B/C roads surveyed annually
Methodology caveat: Brent's Condition Index measures structural condition — not just visible potholes — and RED banding means maintenance "should be considered." The council states that from 2026/27 a new BSI PAS 2161 five-category standard will replace the current three-band system. Survey results reflect conditions at the time of assessment and may not match today's road surface.
A roads (46.6km) — surveyed 100% per year
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 14% | 3% | 83% |
| 2022 | 22% | 6% | 72% |
| 2023 | 10% | 3% | 87% |
| 2024 | 14% | 3% | 83% |
A-road RED share rose from 10% to 14% between 2023 and 2024 — a 40% relative increase in one year. Brent notes A-road performance is still better than 2020/21 and 2021/22, reflecting recent investment, but acknowledges deterioration occurred "in spite of increased budget for road resurfacing."
B and C roads (31.5km) — surveyed 100% per year
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 11% | 4% | 85% |
| 2023 | 7% | 3% | 90% |
| 2024 | 11% | 5% | 84% |
B/C roads moved from 7% to 11% RED between 2023 and 2024 — a 57% relative increase. The council states "capital spend is not the only factor on these figures as at the same time network deterioration also affects condition by making it worse."
Unclassified roads (391.4km) — where most claims start
12%
RED — substantial maintenance needed
~47km of U-road network
80%
Share of borough roads
Council's own description
83%
By carriageway length
391.4km of 469.5km
"Unclassified roads make up 80% of all borough roads and from the latest surveys and their condition deteriorated slightly, with 12% of Brent's unclassified roads now in need of substantial maintenance. This is in spite of the increased budget for road resurfacing in recent years."
— Brent Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025, Revision A)
GREEN Spend, £0 New Prevention Budget
Brent's 2025/26 capital programme and pothole repair projections from the transparency report
£759k
DfT capital allocation 2025/26
£4.259m
Total highway maintenance programme 2025/26
£0
New injection-patching budget (slippage only)
| Programme | 2025/26 (£000s) |
|---|---|
| Major resurfacing of roads | 2,425 |
| Carriageway short sections | 150 |
| Injection patching | 0 |
| Highway structures and drainage | 450 |
| Condition surveys and analysis | 100 |
| Renewal of road markings | 100 |
| Public realm improvements | 125 |
| DfT uplift funding | 759 |
"Due to a £250k budget slippage from previous years, this balance will fund work in 2025/26, with no additional budget allocated for that year."
— Brent Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025, Revision A)
Pothole Repair Volumes
Estimated potholes filled — from Brent's transparency report
| Year | Potholes filled | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 10,210 | Peak year in table |
| 2021/22 | 6,796 | — |
| 2022/23 | 10,718 | — |
| 2023/24 | 5,761 | — |
| 2024/25 | 3,998 | Recent low |
| 2025/26 (projected) | ~6,000 | +50% vs 2024/25 |
What the projection includes
Brent estimates ~6,000 pothole repairs in 2025/26 from reactive make-safe work under day-to-day maintenance plus the injection-patching programme. That is the council's own forecast — not proof every street is failing, but evidence of anticipated reactive workload across the network.
Resurfacing vs backlog
Combined 2024/25 and 2025/26 programmes will resurface 38 road sections totalling 7.4 miles, plus large-scale patches at 28 DfT-funded locations. At roughly 57km of RED-condition carriageway across all road classes at the latest survey, full backlog clearance would take several years even without new deterioration — while the council admits deterioration continues during works.
Surveys, AI Inspections and Section 58
How Brent says it knows network condition — and where gaps appear for individual claims
Survey coverage
- • A roads: 100% condition data collected per year
- • B and C roads: 100% condition data collected per year
- • Unclassified roads: full survey coverage via AI video surveys
- • TfL principal-road funding: minimal since 2018; none secured for 2024/26
- • Resident reports: logged via Brent's FixMyStreet platform
AI video surveys
Brent uses AI software on mobile-phone video to scan the borough in little over a week. The council states that from borough-wide survey through data analysis to injection-patching works commencing can take as little as three weeks.
Faster surveys improve targeting — but a snapshot taken weeks or months before your incident may not capture the defect that damaged your vehicle, especially if it formed rapidly after wet weather.
Section 41 vs Section 58
Under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, Brent 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 describe AI surveys in a transparency report.
- • Was your road on the latest AI survey before your incident — and did that survey capture this defect?
- • Were there prior reports via report.brent.gov.uk giving actual notice?
- • Does photographic evidence show defect age beyond the council's stated repair timeframe?
- • On a U-road with 12% RED network-wide, can the council show your section was reasonably inspected?
"Despite its shorter lifespan than traditional repairs, injection patching offers efficiency and cost advantages—approximately one third the cost of conventional repairs."
— Brent Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025, Revision A)
What Brent Acknowledges
Verbatim admissions from the June 2025 transparency report
On classified-road deterioration
"In 23/24, the classified road network had slightly deteriorated in condition... Capital spend is not the only factor on these figures as at the same time network deterioration also affects condition by making it worse."
— Brent Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025, Revision A)
On continuous investment
"To keep on top of the deterioration of our asset, the council must invest continually in maintenance."
— Brent Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025, Revision A)
On A-road performance
"Although A-road performance is down, it is still better than 20/21 and 21/22 figures and reflects the recent investment put in by Brent."
— Brent Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025, Revision A)
Claiming Against an AMBER-Rated Borough
Honest assessment: Brent invests beyond its DfT allocation — but condition and best practice tell a mixed story
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ GREEN spend scorecard — £4.259m programme vs £759k DfT allocation
- ✓ AI video surveys with rapid defect-to-repair turnaround described
- ✓ £15m four-year footway and carriageway programme largely completing 2025/26
- ✓ Pothole fills fell to 3,998 in 2024/25 before the 2025/26 projection
- ✓ Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure-aligned asset management approach documented
Expect a structured Section 58 defence citing surveys, FixMyStreet logs and repair records.
What works in yours
- ✗ RED best-practice scorecard from the DfT
- ✗ Classified roads deteriorated in 2023/24 despite increased resurfacing spend
- ✗ 12% of U-roads in RED — ~47km needing substantial maintenance
- ✗ ~6,000 pothole repairs projected for 2025/26 — 50% above 2024/25
- ✗ £0 new injection-patching budget — prevention funded by slippage only
- ✗ No TfL principal-road funding secured for 2024/26
The winning strategy here is specificity
Against a borough with GREEN spend and AI survey capability, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect and road:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole on report.brent.gov.uk — proof of actual notice
- • Photos showing defect size, depth and visible age (weathered edges, previous patching)
- • Road class — on a U-road, network-wide 12% RED condition supports structural context
- • Timing — whether the defect could have formed after the last AI survey pass
Mac builds exactly this case: prior-report search, photo assessment, and citations from Brent's own transparency data — including the 2025/26 pothole projection and injection-patching budget gap — where they help you.
Report a Pothole to Brent 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. High-priority defects are repaired within seven days of inspection per council guidance.
Report a street problem — report.brent.gov.ukHit a Pothole in Brent?
An AMBER borough with RED best practice 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 RED best-practice citation
Professional claim pack
- ✅ 12% U-road RED condition documented
- ✅ ~6,000 pothole projection for 2025/26 cited
- ✅ £0 injection-patching budget quoted
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Brent
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently asked questions
Does Brent's AMBER DfT rating mean the council will pay my claim?
Not automatically. AMBER means Brent 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. Brent's own report shows classified roads deteriorated in 2023/24, 12% of unclassified roads need substantial maintenance, and the council projects ~6,000 pothole repairs in 2025/26. Those figures can support a claim when tied to your specific road and defect — they do not guarantee success on their own.
Brent has a GREEN spend rating — can I still claim?
Yes. The DfT Spend scorecard is GREEN because Brent's projected 2025/26 highway maintenance programme totals £4.259m against a DfT capital allocation of £759,000. Section 58 is about the individual defect, not aggregate budgets. Overall and condition ratings are both AMBER, and best practice is RED.
Why is Best Practice RED when Condition is only AMBER?
The DfT scorecards are separate. Brent's transparency report describes AI video surveys and a Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure-aligned approach, but the DfT still rates best practice RED for 2025/26. That gap — documented processes on paper versus the government's assessment of practice — is worth citing if Brent relies on generic "we have a system" arguments rather than records for your street.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
Unclassified roads make up 391.4km — 83% of Brent's 469.5km carriageway network. The council's latest surveys show 12% of U-roads in RED condition needing substantial maintenance, and the report states unclassified roads "make up 80% of all borough roads." Most Brent pothole damage happens on these streets. Prior reports via FixMyStreet (report.brent.gov.uk) and photos showing defect age matter more than network-wide averages.
Why are pothole repairs projected to rise from 3,998 to ~6,000?
Brent filled 3,998 potholes in 2024/25 — down from 5,761 in 2023/24 — but estimates ~6,000 repairs in 2025/26 when reactive make-safe work and the injection-patching programme are combined. That projected 50% year-on-year rise is the council's own forecast, not an external estimate. It indicates anticipated reactive workload, not proof your specific defect was unavoidable.
What does £0 new injection-patching budget mean for 2025/26?
Brent's 2025/26 capital programme allocates £0 for injection patching, with work funded only by £250,000 budget slippage from previous years — "no additional budget allocated for that year." Injection patching is described as roughly one-third the cost of conventional repairs but with a shorter lifespan. For a claim, the point is whether your road was reasonably maintained — not whether a budget line reads zero — but the slippage-only funding shows prevention running on leftover money.
How do I report a pothole to Brent Council?
Report defects online at report.brent.gov.uk (FixMyStreet Pro). Brent's pothole guidance states high-priority defects are repaired within seven days of inspection, medium within 28 days, and low-priority defects are recorded without further action. 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 | Brent Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025, Revision A). 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 RED.
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.