Source
Department for Transport — Local road maintenance ratings 2025 to 2026
greenOverall|green Conditiongreen Spendamber Best Practice
4,799 Pothole Repairs in 2024/25 on a Green-Rated Network
Coventry earns GREEN DfT scorecards for overall rating, condition and spend — yet its own transparency report records 4,799 pothole repairs in 2024/25, an £8.0m annual funding shortfall against £21.6m calculated need, and deteriorating unclassified roads where 13% now need resurfacing (up from 9%). Best practice is AMBER. Section 58 still turns on your specific defect.
667km
Unclassified roads — 75% of the network
Surveyed on a four-year cycle while the council admits U-road treatment extents are increasing. DfT GREEN condition scorecards reflect SCANNER data and Indicator 224b — not every residential street every year.
887.98km of Roads — Mostly Unclassified
Network size from Coventry's June 2025 transparency report — where pothole claims actually happen
887.98km
Total carriageway
667.34km
Unclassified (U) roads
75% of the network
130.47km
B and C roads
90.17km
A roads
| Asset | Scale |
|---|---|
| Footways | 1,446.71km |
| Dedicated cycleways | 24.64km |
| Public rights of way | 61.9km |
| Bridges and structures | 315 |
| Drainage assets | In excess of 50,000 |
"Classified (A, B & C) roads are surveyed every two years (one direction each year) and unclassified roads are surveyed every four years (25% of the network annually)."
— Coventry City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
DfT Scorecards — GREEN Overall, AMBER Best Practice
Department for Transport ratings for 2025/26 — three GREEN scorecards and one AMBER
| Scorecard | Rating | What it reflects |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | green | Combined performance across all three areas |
| Condition | green | A-roads 78% good (vs 69% national), B&C 78% (vs 62%), U-roads 88% on Indicator 224b (vs 83%) |
| Spend | green | Projected 2025/26 planned maintenance £13.61m with 88.41% planned vs reactive split |
| Best Practice | amber | Survey methodology differences, U-road data gaps pre-2021, and dual condition reporting systems |
Methodology caveat: Coventry publishes U-road condition in two formats — national Indicator 224b (used for DfT GREEN scorecards) and an in-house treatment-required methodology showing deteriorating resurfacing need (9% to 13% between 2022/23 and 2024/25). The council states differences arise partly because 224b counts isolated red sub-sections while treatment-set rules extend these into realistic treatment extents. Some pre-2021 survey gaps remain in the PMS system; full U-road coverage arrived in 2024/25.
Source: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026
What GREEN Condition Actually Shows
SCANNER surveys on classified roads — and a separate picture on unclassified roads and footways
Classified roads (220.64km) — SCANNER, every two years
78%
A-roads green (2024/25)
National avg: 69%
78%
B&C roads green (2024/25)
National avg: 62%
88%
U-roads green — Indicator 224b
National avg: 83%
Classified A and B&C roads are stable and above national averages. Indicator 224b shows U-roads above average too — but this methodology has no amber band and differs from Coventry's treatment-required figures below.
Unclassified roads — treatment required (council methodology 2)
| Year | Needs resurfacing | Surface treatment | No treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 9% | 26% | 65% |
| 2023/24 | 9% | 29% | 62% |
| 2024/25 | 13% | 26% | 61% |
Resurfacing need rose from 9% to 13% of U-road area in two years. Percentages are by network area, not length. National average unavailable for this methodology.
Footways (1,446.71km) — treatment required
| Year | Needs reconstruction | Slurry seal | No treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 20% | 5% | 76% |
| 2023/24 | 24% | 10% | 66% |
| 2024/25 | 25% | 9% | 66% |
One in four footway areas now need reconstruction. The council notes data post-2024 should be more accurate due to full network survey coverage.
"Coventry's Unclassified network is showing signs of deterioration/extents requiring treatments increasing."
— Coventry City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
Following the Money
GREEN spend scorecard — but calculated annual need exceeds planned budgets by £8.0m
£21.6m
Calculated annual need
£13.61m
Projected planned spend 2025/26
£8.0m
Annual shortfall
| Treatment | Needed | Delivered | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carriageway resurfacing | 16.5km | 9.85km | 60% |
| Carriageway surface treatment | 51km | 11.5km | 23% |
| Footway reconstruction | 17.55km | 10.17km | 58% |
| Footway slurry seal | 71.63km | 5.63km | 8% |
Why spend is GREEN
Coventry maintains 84–92% planned maintenance spend (vs reactive) across recent years — projected 88.41% planned in 2025/26. DfT/TfWM standard grant was £4.28m in 2024/25 against total maintenance spend of £12.36m, supplemented by internal contributions and bid funding.
Why potholes still form
Even at 88% planned spend, the council delivers only 23% of required carriageway surface treatments and admits reactive maintenance alone cannot close the funding gap. Their appendix states that even combining all reactive and planned funding "there is still not enough to treat all assets that are deteriorating."
Five Years of Reactive Pothole Work
Estimated potholes filled — methodology 4 (preferred): true potholes plus reactive patching under 10m²
Counting caveat: Coventry publishes five pothole-counting methodologies in Appendix C. Methodology 4 (preferred) produced 4,799 fills in 2024/25; Methodology 1 (true potholes only) produced 611. The council acknowledges "many interpretations" of pothole counts across local authorities.
| Year | Potholes filled (method 4) | Change vs 2020/21 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 4,095 | Baseline |
| 2021/22 | 5,418 | +32.3% |
| 2022/23 | 4,313 | +5.3% |
| 2023/24 | 4,992 | +21.9% |
| 2024/25 | 4,799 | +17.2% |
| 2025/26 (projected) | 4,250–4,750 | Council estimate |
"We also acknowledge that there are many interpretations of how to classify 'number of potholes' and there will be a great deal of inconsistencies across different LAs."
— Coventry City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
Still above baseline
4,799 fills in 2024/25 remains 17.2% above the 2020/21 baseline despite favourable winter conditions expected to reduce 2025/26 volumes slightly. A green-rated network still producing this reactive volume indicates defects form between planned treatments — especially on U-roads surveyed every four years.
Inspections, Surveys and Section 58
How Coventry says it knows the condition of its network — and where gaps appear
Survey frequency
- • A, B and C roads: SCANNER surveys every two years (one direction per year)
- • Unclassified roads: walked DVI every four years (25% of network annually)
- • Footways: 100% coverage on a four-year cycle (25% annually)
- • Structures: general inspections every two years; principal every six years
- • PAS 2161: mandatory from 2026/27 — five-category classification replacing RAG
Safety inspections
Coventry undertakes routine safety inspections at intervals based on road hierarchy, traffic volumes and pedestrian use. Potholes over 40mm deep are targeted for repair within five to twenty working days; other necessary repairs within 40 working days.
Forward works programmes prioritise schemes using condition surveys, hierarchy, historical defect frequency, accident claims records and resident feedback.
Section 41 vs Section 58
Under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, Coventry must maintain public highways. To rely on a Section 58 defence, the council must show a reasonable system for inspecting and repairing the specific defect — not just publish green DfT scorecards.
- • Was your U-road on the four-year survey cycle — and had that section been surveyed recently?
- • 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?
"Even combining both reactive maintenance funding and planned maintenance funding there is still not enough to treat all assets that are deteriorating."
— Coventry City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025) — Appendix E
What Coventry Acknowledges
Verbatim admissions from the June 2025 transparency report
On footway condition
"Coventry's footway network is showing signs of deterioration/extents requiring treatments increasing. Data post 2024 should be significantly more accurate due to full network coverage with surveys."
— Coventry City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
On funding vs asset value
"The value of Coventry's highway assets have increased by over £514m since 2018/19. In that same time, only £23.6m was received via the DfT/WMCA in the form of HMB/CRSTS. This equates to only 4.6% of the increase in the GRC of highway assets."
— Coventry City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
On reactive vs planned spending
"We spend much more annually on planned works (resurfacing etc.) than we do on reactive repairs... Performing zero reactive maintenance would result in a scenario where it is extremely likely The Council will lose all claims."
— Coventry City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025) — Appendix E
Claiming Against a Green-Rated Council
Honest assessment: Coventry is competent on paper — here is how that changes your approach
What Works In The Council's Favour
- ✓ GREEN overall, condition and spend DfT scorecards
- ✓ Classified roads above national averages on SCANNER data
- ✓ 84–92% planned maintenance spend across recent years
- ✓ Data-driven forward works programme and JCB PotholePro permanent patching
- ✓ Transparent reporting with five pothole-counting methodologies published
Expect a well-prepared Section 58 defence. Generic "council neglect" arguments will not land.
What Works In Yours
- ✗ AMBER best-practice scorecard from DfT
- ✗ 667km of U-roads — 75% of network — on a four-year survey cycle
- ✗ U-road resurfacing need rose from 9% to 13% on council's own methodology
- ✗ 4,799 pothole repairs in 2024/25 — 17.2% above 2020/21 baseline
- ✗ Only 23% of required carriageway surface treatment delivered in 2024/25
- ✗ £8.0m annual funding shortfall against £21.6m calculated need
The Winning Strategy Here Is Specificity
Against a council with GREEN scorecards and high planned-maintenance ratios, 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 survey gap is your strongest structural argument
- • Whether the council can produce inspection records for your street, not just network-wide averages
Mac builds exactly this case: prior-report search, photo assessment, and citations from Coventry's own transparency data where it helps you — without pretending the council is failing overall.
Report a Pothole to Coventry 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 a pothole — coventry.gov.ukHit a Pothole in Coventry?
A green-rated council demands a precise claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY Claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No four-year U-road survey-gap argument
- • No prior-report search
- • No dual-methodology condition caveat
Professional Claim Pack
- ✅ U-road deterioration documented (9% to 13%)
- ✅ Four-year survey cycle argued
- ✅ 4,799 pothole repairs in 2024/25 cited
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Coventry
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Coventry's GREEN DfT rating mean I cannot claim?
No. GREEN means Coventry performs above average on network-level condition and spend — but Section 58 turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired. Their own report admits unclassified roads are "showing signs of deterioration", footways require increasing treatment, and they still filled 4,799 potholes in 2024/25 while projecting 4,250–4,750 more in 2025/26.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
Unclassified roads make up 667.34km — 75% of Coventry's 887.98km carriageway network. These roads are surveyed on a four-year cycle (25% of the network annually) using walked Detailed Visual Inspection, not annual SCANNER surveys. At the council's own treatment-required methodology, 13% of U-road area needed resurfacing in 2024/25, up from 9% in 2022/23. If your incident fell between surveys, network-level GREEN scorecards may not reflect your street.
Why is best practice rated AMBER when condition and spend are GREEN?
The DfT best-practice scorecard is separate from condition and spend. Coventry's transparency report notes data gaps in pre-2021 unclassified surveys, two different U-road condition methodologies (national Indicator 224b vs in-house treatment-required rules), and a move to PAS 2161 from 2026/27. The council states its 224b figures differ from its treatment-set methodology partly because isolated red sub-sections are extended into realistic treatment extents — methodology differences the DfT flags as affecting best-practice scoring.
How big is Coventry's funding gap?
Coventry's lifecycle planning calculates an annual need of £21.6m to maintain selected highway assets to design life. Planned maintenance for 2025/26 is projected at £13.61m — an £8.0m shortfall. In 2024/25 they delivered 9.85km of carriageway resurfacing against a calculated need of 16.5km (60%) and 11.5km of surface treatment against 51km needed (23%).
Unclassified roads needing resurfacing rose from 9% to 13% — does that matter?
It documents deterioration on the road class where most pothole damage occurs. Coventry's in-house treatment-required methodology shows U-road area needing resurfacing rose from 9% (2022/23) to 13% (2024/25), while area needing no treatment fell from 65% to 61%. The council's own performance comment states: "Coventry's Unclassified network is showing signs of deterioration/extents requiring treatments increasing." DfT GREEN U-road condition (88% good on Indicator 224b) measures a different methodology.
Coventry counts 4,799 pothole fills but only 611 "true potholes" — which figure applies?
Both come from the same council report using different counting methods. Methodology 4 (the council's preferred figure) counts true pothole fills plus reactive patching jobs under 10m² — totalling 4,799 in 2024/25. Methodology 1 counts only true pothole schedule items — 611 in 2024/25. The council acknowledges "many interpretations" of pothole counts across local authorities. Either way, reactive workload remains substantial on a GREEN-rated network.
How do I report a pothole to Coventry City Council?
Report non-urgent potholes via the council's online form at coventry.gov.uk/pothole_report. Urgent issues should go to Customer Services. The council aims to repair potholes over 40mm deep within five to twenty working days. Prior reports of the same defect create a record the council had 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 | Coventry City 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 GREEN; condition GREEN; spend GREEN; 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.