4,398 Pothole Repairs in 2024/25 as Every Road Class Declines
Bristol City Council maintains 1,209km of roads — 952km of unclassified residential streets (79%). The DfT rates Bristol AMBER overall with GREEN spend, yet pothole fills rose 65% from 2020/21 to 2024/25 while green-rated A-roads fell from 28.9% to 21.5% and B-roads to just 9.8%. Section 58 still turns on your specific defect.
1,209km of Roads — Mostly Residential
Network size from Bristol's June 2025 transparency report — where pothole claims actually happen
"Our authority is responsible for managing and maintaining a comprehensive highways network to ensure safe and efficient travel for all road users. This network includes 1,209 km of roads, encompassing 128 km of A roads, 128 km of B and C roads, and 952 km of U roads."
— Bristol City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
What AMBER Condition Actually Shows
Gaist Solutions Limited condition surveys — mapped to red, amber and green categories
Methodology caveat: Bristol uses Gaist condition assessment surveys annually. Grades 1–2 map to green, 3–4 to amber and 5 to red — a translation from Gaist's 1–5 grading, not traditional SCANNER laser survey. Survey data is collected at a specific point each year and may not reflect condition at the time of your incident.
A roads (128km) — green share falling
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 8.6% | 62.3% | 28.9% |
| 2022 | 9.0% | 64.4% | 26.2% |
| 2024 | 9.9% | 68.6% | 21.5% |
Green-rated A-roads fell from 28.9% to 21.5% (2020–2024). Red condition rose from 8.6% to 9.9%.
B roads — only 9.8% green in 2024
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 10.5% | 75.0% | 14.4% |
| 2024 | 12.4% | 77.8% | 9.8% |
B-road green condition fell from 14.4% to 9.8% over four years. Red rose from 10.5% to 12.4%.
Unclassified roads (952km) — where most claims start
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 15.2% | 66.9% | 15.7% |
| 2024 | 14.8% | 70.9% | 14.3% |
In 2024, 85.7% of Bristol's residential network was fair or poor (amber plus red). Green U-road share barely moved — from 15.7% to 14.3% — while amber rose from 66.9% to 70.9%.
Rising Pothole Patch Counts
Estimated potholes filled — defects requiring a patch to make the road safe, per the council's report
| Year | Potholes filled | Change vs 2020/21 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 2,658 | Baseline |
| 2021/22 | 2,464 | −7.3% |
| 2022/23 | 2,587 | −2.7% |
| 2023/24 | 3,832 | +44.2% |
| 2024/25 | 4,398 | +65.5% |
70% surge in two years
Between 2022/23 and 2024/25 alone, pothole fills rose from 2,587 to 4,398 — a 70% increase. The council states pothole repairs account for approximately 37% of reactive maintenance job types annually.
"Bristol City Council does not operate a backlog of defects and or potholes. Any necessary repairs are undertaken within specified contractual timescales, which are monitored through KPIs."
— Bristol City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
Following the Money
GREEN spend scorecard — but much of the increase went to structures and lighting, not carriageways
| Year | Capital (£000s) | Revenue (£000s) | Carriageway total (£000s) | Preventative | Reactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 8,028 | 3,175 | 5,770 | 66.0% | 34.0% |
| 2022/23 | 9,134 | 8,980 | 4,499 | 76.3% | 23.7% |
| 2024/25 | 17,062 | 6,862 | 6,205 | 77.8% | 22.2% |
Why spend is GREEN
Total capital and revenue spend rose from £11.2m (2020/21) to £23.9m (2024/25). Preventative share climbed to 77.84% in 2024/25. Structures capital alone reached £7.8m — up from £673k in 2020/21 — including CRSTS bridge works and New Cut River wall investment.
Why carriageway outcomes lag
Carriageway capital plus revenue rose only from £5.8m to £6.2m over the same period (+7.5%). The council resurfaces approximately 20,000m² of carriageway per year on a 1,209km network — alongside ~200,000m² of surface dressing. Rising pothole counts alongside flat carriageway spend suggest reactive pressure persists.
What Bristol Acknowledges
Verbatim statements from the June 2025 transparency report
"In situations where preventative maintenance if not the best engineering solution we will seek to continue to use that asset for as long as possible ensuring best value for money whilst ensuring safety of the public."
— Bristol City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
"Pothole repairs, which account for approximately 37% of reactive maintenance job types annually."
— Bristol City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
Claiming Against an AMBER-Rated Council
Honest assessment: Bristol invests heavily in structures and lighting — your claim turns on the specific defect
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ GREEN DfT spend scorecard with £23.9m total maintenance spend in 2024/25
- ✓ 77.84% preventative maintenance share in 2024/25
- ✓ Annual Gaist condition surveys across all road classes
- ✓ Documented asset management using Gaist lifecycle modelling and ISO55000-aligned SAMP in development
- ✓ NHT survey satisfaction above average, per the council's report
What works in yours
- ✗ AMBER overall, condition and best-practice DfT scorecards
- ✗ 4,398 pothole fills in 2024/25 — up 65.5% since 2020/21
- ✗ A-road green share down from 28.9% to 21.5%; B-roads to 9.8%
- ✗ 952km of U-roads — 85.7% fair or poor in 2024
- ✗ Carriageway spend rose only 7.5% while total spend doubled
- ✗ Documented "best value for money" approach to keeping assets in service
The winning strategy here is specificity
Against a council with GREEN spend and annual Gaist surveys, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (FixMyStreet, council portal) — proof of actual notice
- • Photos showing defect size, depth and visible age (weathered edges, previous patching)
- • Road class — on a U-road, 85.7% fair/poor network condition supports structural context
- • Whether the council can show inspection and repair records for your street, not just network averages
Mac builds exactly this case: prior-report search, photo assessment, and citations from Bristol's own transparency data where it helps you — without overstating what aggregate scorecards prove.
Report a Pothole to Bristol City 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 on FixMyStreet — fixmystreet.bristol.gov.ukHit a Pothole in Bristol?
Rising patch counts and declining condition data demand a precise claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No 65% pothole trend cited
- • No prior-report search
- • No carriageway spend context
Professional claim pack
- ✅ 4,398 pothole repairs in 2024/25 documented
- ✅ A/B/U-road condition decline cited
- ✅ Carriageway vs structures spend split
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Bristol
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently asked questions
Does Bristol's AMBER DfT rating mean I can claim?
An AMBER overall rating does not guarantee a successful claim, but it reflects mixed performance across condition, spend and best practice. Bristol is AMBER on condition and best practice, GREEN on spend. Section 58 still turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired — not the headline scorecard alone.
Bristol says it has no backlog of defects — what does that mean for my claim?
The council states it does not operate a backlog and that repairs are undertaken within contractual timescales monitored through KPIs. That describes reported-defect workflow, not network-wide condition. Its own Gaist survey data shows A-road green condition fell from 28.9% to 21.5% (2020–2024), B-road green from 14.4% to 9.8%, and 85.7% of U-roads in fair or poor condition in 2024. Prior reports and photos of your specific defect matter more than the backlog statement.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
Unclassified roads make up 952km — 79% of Bristol's 1,209km carriageway network. Gaist condition surveys cover U-roads annually, but only 14.3% were green-rated in 2024 while 70.9% were amber and 14.8% red. Most pothole damage happens on these residential streets, not the 128km of A-roads.
Bristol has a GREEN spend rating — can I still claim?
Yes. The DfT Spend scorecard is GREEN because Bristol invests beyond its DfT capital allocation. Total highway maintenance capital and revenue spend rose from £11.2m (2020/21) to £23.9m (2024/25). Section 58 turns on the specific defect and inspection record — aggregate spend does not prove your pothole was known and repaired in time.
Pothole repairs rose 65% in five years — does that help my case?
It can. Bristol filled 2,658 potholes in 2020/21 and 4,398 in 2024/25 — a 65.5% rise. Pothole repairs account for approximately 37% of reactive maintenance job types, according to the council. Rising patch counts alongside declining condition scores on A, B and C roads suggest reactive workload is growing — but your claim still needs evidence about the specific defect.
What does Bristol's "best value for money" statement mean?
The council's 2025/26 plan states that where preventative maintenance is not the best engineering solution, it will "continue to use that asset for as long as possible ensuring best value for money whilst ensuring safety of the public." That documents a cost-conscious approach to keeping assets in service. Whether that affects your claim depends on your road, defect age and inspection records — not the quote alone.
How do I report a pothole to Bristol City Council?
Report potholes and road damage via FixMyStreet at fixmystreet.bristol.gov.uk or through the council's road maintenance form at bristol.gov.uk. For urgent safety risks, call 0117 922 2100 (Mon–Fri 8.30am–6pm) or 0117 922 2050 at other times. Prior reports of the same defect strengthen a claim by demonstrating notice. Fixtyer searches for existing reports and attaches them to your claim pack.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Bristol City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.