Source
Department for Transport — Local road maintenance ratings 2025 to 2026
amberOverall|red Conditiongreen Spendred Best Practice
DfT caveat: The Department for Transport notes that Bromley's overall, condition and best-practice scorecards are based on incomplete road condition data.
34.3% of Bromley's BCU Roads in Major Deterioration
London Borough of Bromley maintains 551 miles of roads. After allocating no surfacing budget for 2021 to 2023, B, C and U-road major deterioration rose from 20.6% to 34.3% — a 67% relative increase. The DfT rates condition RED and spend GREEN. Pothole repairs fell to 2,117 in 2024/25 because defects exceeded the council's 1m² definition. Section 58 still turns on your specific defect.
9%
Preventative spend in 2021/22
91% reactive — 0 miles resurfaced — after a £10m front-loaded capital programme meant no surfacing budget was allocated for two years. Major deterioration on residential roads then accelerated sharply.
551 Miles of Roads — Mostly Residential
Network scale from Bromley's 2025 transparency report — where pothole claims actually happen
551 miles
Total carriageway
886.8 km
507.4 miles
B, C and U roads
92% of the network
43.6 miles
A roads (principal)
TfL LoHEG BPRN surveys
885.3 miles
Footways
1,424.8 km
"B and C roads connect the principal roads with the unclassified U Roads which are mostly residential quieter roads."
— London Borough of Bromley Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
What RED Condition Actually Shows
AI-led surveys from 2022 — three condition categories per the council's transparency report
Survey caveat: Bromley uses AI-led condition surveys on principal roads via TfL's Borough Principal Road Network programme, and the same methodology on B, C and U roads. No condition surveys were undertaken in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions. The DfT separately notes that Bromley's scorecards are based on incomplete road condition data — read published percentages as the council's own survey snapshot, not a guarantee of current street-level condition.
A roads (43.6 miles) — surveyed annually via TfL BPRN
| Year | Major deterioration | Minor deterioration | No further investigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 31.60% | 23.80% | 44.60% |
| 2023/24 | 31.40% | 24.60% | 44.00% |
| 2024/25 | 28.80% | 24.60% | 46.60% |
Principal roads are in a similar state of disrepair to the London average of 29% in major deterioration, with less than half in good condition and nearly a third needing immediate maintenance — per the council's own report.
B, C and U roads (507.4 miles) — where most claims start
| Year | Major deterioration | Minor deterioration | No further investigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 23.60% | 25.80% | 50.60% |
| 2022/23 | 20.60% | 24.80% | 54.60% |
| 2023/24 | 33.30% | 33.30% | 33.40% |
| 2024/25 | 34.30% | 29.00% | 36.70% |
The non-principal network has continued to deteriorate after 2022/23 — major deterioration rose from 20.6% to 34.3% in two years (+67% relative). Roads requiring no further investigation fell from 54.6% to 36.7%. At 34.3%, roughly 174 miles of the 507.4-mile BCU network are in the major-deterioration category at the last survey.
"As seen in the table below, the non-principal network has continued to deteriorate after 2022/2023."
— London Borough of Bromley Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
Zero Resurfacing Budget for Two Years
The council's own explanation for 2021/22 and 2022/23 — and the spending that followed
"The low levels of planned surfacing activity in 2021/22 and 2022/23 are a result of a capital programme launched in 2017. This programme brought forward approximately £10 million in revenue funding to take advantage of lower contract rates at the time. Consequently, the council did not allocate a surfacing budget for the 2021 to 2023 period."
— London Borough of Bromley Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
| Year | Capital spend (£000s) | Resurfaced (miles) | Preventative | Reactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (projected) | 2,700 | 11.8 | 54% | 46% |
| 2024/25 | 2,500 | 6.6 | 48% | 52% |
| 2023/24 | 2,500 | 5.76 | 54% | 46% |
| 2022/23 | 2,438 | 0 | 64% | 36% |
| 2021/22 | 200 | 0 | 9% | 91% |
| 2020/21 | 2,000 | 8.0 | 55% | 45% |
What the data shows
Capital spend collapsed to £200k in 2021/22 with zero miles resurfaced and a record-low 9% preventative share. The BCU major-deterioration rate then jumped from 20.6% to 33.3% between 2022/23 and 2023/24 — coinciding with the period when no surfacing budget was allocated.
Coverage maths for 2025/26
At the planned 11.8 miles of resurfacing, Bromley would treat roughly 2.1% of its 551-mile network in one year. Applying major-deterioration rates to network length suggests around 186.6 miles currently need maintenance (43.6 × 28.8% on A roads plus 507.4 × 34.3% on BCU roads) — a backlog that would take ~16 years to clear at the current resurfacing rate, before accounting for new deterioration.
Pothole Counts and the 1m² Definition
Estimated potholes filled — defects the council defines as reactive repairs under 1 square metre
Definition caveat: Bromley states that "in engineering terms, a pothole has no official definition, but in our case, we have defined it as a reactive repair or a patch that is under 1 square metres." Defects above that threshold are counted differently — which affects year-on-year comparisons.
| Year | Potholes filled | Change vs 2021/22 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 2,790 | Baseline |
| 2022/23 | 3,490 | +25.1% |
| 2023/24 | 4,121 | +47.7% |
| 2024/25 | 2,117 | −24.1% |
| 2025/26 (projected) | 3,000–4,000 | Council estimate |
"The number of potholes fell in 2024/2025 as the council had to raise more jobs for larger areas which would not be classed as smaller than 1 square metre or a pothole."
— London Borough of Bromley Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
Fewer counts, not necessarily fewer defects
Repairs peaked at 4,121 in 2023/24 then halved to 2,117 — not because the council admits fixing fewer defects overall, but because larger failure zones exceed the pothole definition. The council still expects 3,000–4,000 pothole fixes in 2025/26 based on historical trends.
Following the Money
GREEN spend — but reactive maintenance overtook prevention again in 2024/25
| Year | DfT capital (£000s) | Capital spend (£000s) | Revenue spend (£000s) | km resurfaced | Preventative | Reactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (projected) | 1,479 | 2,700 | 2,300 | 19.03 | 54% | 46% |
| 2024/25 | 455 | 2,500 | 2,683 | 10.7 | 48% | 52% |
| 2023/24 | 455 | 2,500 | 2,172 | 9.27 | 54% | 46% |
| 2022/23 | — | 2,438 | 1,343 | 0 | 64% | 36% |
| 2021/22 | — | 200 | 2,101 | 0 | 9% | 91% |
| 2020/21 | — | 2,000 | 1,642 | 12.9 | 55% | 45% |
Why spend is GREEN
Projected 2025/26 capital spend of £2.7m exceeds the DfT allocation of £1.479m. Resurfacing is planned at 11.8 miles (9 miles non-principal plus 2.8 miles principal), with 54% of the budget allocated to planned maintenance.
Why condition stays RED
Aggregate investment has not reversed the BCU deterioration trend. Reactive spending overtook prevention again in 2024/25 (52% vs 48%). The council acknowledges that roads in poor condition are susceptible to further deterioration through water ingress — yet planned resurfacing covers a small fraction of the network each year.
Inspections, Surveys and Section 58
How Bromley says it knows the condition of its network — and where gaps appear
Survey and inspection frequency
- • A roads: annual AI surveys via TfL LoHEG BPRN programme
- • B, C and U roads: annual AI-led condition surveys
- • Safety inspections: frequency set by road hierarchy — highest-risk roads inspected most often
- • Reactive repairs: raised from routine or ad-hoc inspections following public reports
How works are prioritised
Planned programmes use condition scores from AI surveys, road hierarchy, reactive repair history, and public claims and councillor requests. The council states it has a statutory duty under the Highways Act (1980) to keep the highway safe — meaning reactive defect response runs alongside planned renewals.
Section 41 vs Section 58
Under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, Bromley 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 network-wide averages or a capital budget.
- • Was your road surveyed recently — and did the survey capture your defect?
- • Did the defect meet intervention criteria during routine safety inspections?
- • Were there prior reports (FixMyStreet, fix.bromley.gov.uk) giving actual notice?
- • Does photographic evidence show defect age beyond the inspection interval?
"Roads in poor condition are susceptible to further deterioration through water ingress that particularly weakens the layers underneath the surface, compromising the structural integrity of the road. Overall resurfacing is therefore more effective than patching small areas, to prevent water seeping through the surface."
— London Borough of Bromley Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
Planned Work 2025/26
What Bromley says it will deliver this financial year
11.8 miles
Total carriageway resurfacing
9 miles non-principal + 2.8 miles principal
54%
Planned maintenance share
3,000–4,000
Potholes expected
£2.7m
Projected capital spend
vs £1.479m DfT allocation
"During this financial year 2025/26, we plan on resurfacing 9 miles (14.53 km) of carriageway on non-principal roads and 2.8 miles (4.5 km) of principal roads. Town centres, bus routes and access to emergency services and schools will improve thanks to the planned works."
— London Borough of Bromley Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
Claiming Against an AMBER-Rated Borough
Honest assessment: Bromley invests beyond its DfT allocation — but published condition data shows accelerating decline on residential roads
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ GREEN spend scorecard — capital spend exceeds DfT allocation
- ✓ Annual AI condition surveys on all road classes
- ✓ Risk-based safety inspection hierarchy with documented response times
- ✓ Resurfacing programme recovering — 11.8 miles planned for 2025/26
- ✓ A-road major deterioration improved slightly to 28.8% in 2024/25
Expect the council to cite GREEN spend and its asset management framework in a Section 58 defence.
What works in yours
- ✗ RED condition scorecard from DfT
- ✗ DfT flags incomplete road condition data for Bromley
- ✗ BCU major deterioration at 34.3% — up 67% relative from 20.6% in two years
- ✗ Zero surfacing budget and 9% prevention in 2021/22 — documented by the council
- ✗ Pothole count fell because defects exceeded 1m² — council's own explanation
- ✗ ~186.6 miles in major deterioration vs 11.8 miles planned resurfacing
The winning strategy here is specificity
Against a borough with GREEN spend but RED condition, 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 B, C or U road, cite the 34.3% major-deterioration rate and your street's place in the survey
- • Whether the defect exceeded 1m² — and was therefore excluded from pothole counts
Mac builds exactly this case: prior-report search, photo assessment, and citations from Bromley's own transparency data — including the zero-budget period and pothole definition — where it helps you.
Report a Pothole to Bromley 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 problem — fix.bromley.gov.ukImmediate danger (large or deep pothole): call 0300 303 8671 out of hours.
Hit a Pothole in Bromley?
RED condition on residential roads demands a precise claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY Claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No zero-budget 2021–23 context
- • No 1m² pothole definition argument
- • No prior-report search
Professional Claim Pack
- ✅ £10m front-load and zero surfacing budget documented
- ✅ 34.3% BCU major deterioration cited
- ✅ Pothole definition and 2024/25 count drop explained
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Bromley
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bromley's AMBER overall DfT rating mean I cannot claim?
No. AMBER is the overall scorecard — condition is RED, spend is GREEN and best practice is RED. Section 58 turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired, not on a headline rating alone. Bromley's own transparency report shows 34.3% of B, C and U roads in major deterioration in 2024/25, up from 20.6% two years earlier — context that can support a claim when combined with photos and prior reports.
Why is condition RED when spend is GREEN?
They measure different things. The DfT Spend scorecard is GREEN because projected 2025/26 capital spend (£2.7m) exceeds the DfT allocation (£1.479m). The Condition scorecard is RED because published survey data shows network deterioration — especially on B, C and U roads, where major-deterioration share rose from 20.6% to 34.3% between 2022/23 and 2024/25. Higher budgets do not automatically prove the individual pothole was known and repaired within inspection intervals.
The DfT flags incomplete condition data for Bromley — what does that mean?
The Department for Transport notes that Bromley's overall, condition and best-practice scorecards are based on incomplete road condition data. That does not invalidate the published AI survey percentages in the council's transparency report — but it means the DfT could not fully validate the picture. For claimants, the council's own published figures and inspection records for your specific road remain the primary evidence.
Why did Bromley allocate no surfacing budget for 2021 to 2023?
Bromley's transparency report states: "This programme brought forward approximately £10 million in revenue funding to take advantage of lower contract rates at the time. Consequently, the council did not allocate a surfacing budget for the 2021 to 2023 period." Capital spend that year was £200k with 0 miles resurfaced and just 9% spent on preventative maintenance. B, C and U-road major deterioration then rose from 20.6% to 33.3% before reaching 34.3% in 2024/25.
Why did pothole repairs fall from 4,121 to 2,117 in 2024/25?
The council states: "The number of potholes fell in 2024/2025 as the council had to raise more jobs for larger areas which would not be classed as smaller than 1 square metre or a pothole." Bromley defines a pothole as a reactive repair or patch under 1 square metre. Fewer counted potholes does not necessarily mean fewer defects — larger failure zones may be reclassified. The council still expects 3,000–4,000 pothole fixes in 2025/26.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
B, C and U roads make up 507.4 miles — 92% of Bromley's 551-mile carriageway network. These roads are surveyed annually using AI-led models. At the 2024/25 survey, 34.3% were in major deterioration and just 36.7% required no further investigation — down from 54.6% two years earlier. If your incident was on a residential street, the council's own condition data shows widespread deterioration on the road class where most claims occur.
How do I report a pothole to Bromley Council?
Report road and pavement defects via Bromley's FixMyStreet portal at fix.bromley.gov.uk — enter a postcode or street name, pin the location on the map, and submit details. For defects posing an immediate danger (such as a large or deep pothole), call the out-of-hours team on 0300 303 8671 rather than using the online form. 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 | London Borough of Bromley 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 RED; 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.