Source
Department for Transport — Local road maintenance ratings 2025 to 2026
amberOverall|amber Conditionamber Spendgreen Best Practice
Derby: A-road ‘green’ share collapsed from 79% to 30%
Derby City Council — the unitary authority for the city, distinct from Derbyshire County Council — earns a GREEN best-practice scorecard and directs 80% of maintenance spend to preventative work. Yet the overall DfT rating is AMBER because on the council's own Annual Engineering Inspection, A-roads in good condition fell from 79% to 30% in two years, amber share on main roads hit 61%, and the council filled an estimated 3,844 potholes in 2024/25 on a 765km network where 611km is residential streets.
61%
A-roads in amber condition (2024)
Up from 15% in 2022 while “green” A-roads fell from 79% to 30% — on just 73.38km of classified main roads surveyed annually under Derby's own AEI methodology.
What the condition data shows
Five years of AEI survey data from Derby City Council's own transparency report — main roads deteriorating, local roads stable but largely unsurveyed
A-roads (73.38km — 9.6% of network): sharp reversal
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 14% | N/A | N/A |
| 2021 | 12% | 51% | 37% |
| 2022 | 6% | 15% | 79% |
| 2023 | 8% | 58% | 34% |
| 2024 | 9% | 61% | 30% |
Derby's best A-road year on record was 2022 — 79% green, just 6% red. Two years later, fewer than one-third of A-road kilometres are in the green category and nearly two-thirds need maintenance soon or now. RED share has also climbed back from its 6% low to 9%.
B and C roads (81.13km — 10.6% of network): stuck in amber
17%
RED (2024)
flat since 2020 (17%)
50%
Amber
up from 25% in 2022
33%
Green
down from 62% in 2022
B and C roads are fully surveyed every year. Two-thirds of this 81km classified local network is in RED or amber condition — maintenance may be required now or soon on roughly 54km of connector roads across the city.
80% preventative — yet AMBER spend
£4.89m
DfT capital allocation 2025/26
£4.89m
Projected capital spend 2025/26
80%
Estimated preventative share (2024/25)
Derby now spends its DfT allocation pound-for-pound — after the £9 million cabinet boost that doubled capital investment in 2020/21 and 2021/22. The AMBER spend scorecard reflects recent alignment, not austerity. But condition on main roads is still slipping despite 15.175km of preventative carriageway work in 2024/25 alone.
The 611km residential network
80% of Derby's carriageways are unclassified — surveyed at only 25% to 50% each year
| Year | U-roads in RED condition |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 8% |
| 2021 | 10% |
| 2022 | 10% |
| 2023 | 10% |
| 2024 | 7% |
The partial-survey gap
Derby City Council undertakes annual AEI surveys of between 25% and 50% of its U-roads, “in line with DfT reporting standards.” On a 610.94km residential network, that means 153km to 305km may go uncondition-surveyed in any given year — even though safety inspections continue on a separate schedule.
At 10% RED (2021–2023), roughly 61km of residential streets were in the worst category at each comparable survey. The 2024 figure of 7% RED is an improvement on paper — but it covers only the fraction of U-roads surveyed that year.
City boundary, county confusion
Derby is a unitary authority — it maintains all 765.45km of city roads itself. Surrounding areas such as Spondon fringe routes, Mickleover approaches and A38 corridors may involve careful boundary checks: some stretches are city, others Derbyshire County Council or National Highways.
Filing against the wrong authority delays your claim. The council's transparency report covers Derby city only — not Chesterfield, Belper or other Derbyshire towns.
Why this matters for Section 58
To rely on the Section 58 defence, Derby must show it had a reasonable system for knowing road condition. On the city's residential network, ask:
- • Was your street in the 25% or 50% of U-roads condition-surveyed the year of your incident?
- • If 10% of U-roads were RED at the last full-comparable survey, what was done about yours?
- • Does a safety walk-over inspection satisfy the same standard as network condition data?
- • Can the council prove it knew about deterioration between partial AEI survey cycles?
A council cannot claim comprehensive network knowledge when it condition-surveys at most half of its residential roads each year.
3,844 pothole repairs in 2024/25
Estimated reactive repairs rising year-on-year — the council's own five-year trend
| Year | Estimated potholes filled |
|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 2,797 |
| 2021/22 | 2,797 |
| 2022/23 | 3,072 |
| 2023/24 | 3,408 |
| 2024/25 | 3,844 |
38% more repairs than 2020/21
Derby's own report puts the five-year average at approximately 3,280 pothole repairs per year. For 2025/26 it projects 4,193 fills — continuing the upward trend. A network producing defects at that rate is one where potholes routinely form between inspections, regardless of how the council frames the statistics.
The council's counter-narrative
Derby attributes higher repair counts to £1.2 million of DfT Pothole Fund patching and fixing multiple defects in one visit. It states this “doesn't mean the condition of our roads is getting worse — in fact, it shows we're getting more done.” That is their interpretation. Your claim still turns on whether the specific defect was known and repaired in reasonable time.
The AEI honesty admission
Derby switched to Annual Engineering Inspection in 2018 — and publishes what it means
“Although the AEI may show more of the road network in poor condition than SCANNER, it is because it takes a more complete, engineering-based view of entire maintenance sections. This gives a genuine picture of what work is actually needed and matches how maintenance is delivered in practice.”
— Derby City Council Local Highway Maintenance Transparency Report (2025)
“We believe its important to be open and honest on the actual condition of the road network, so we can be realistic when planning and programming repairs and letting residents know when they can expect to see improvements.”
— Derby City Council Local Highway Maintenance Transparency Report (2025)
What this admission means
Derby proactively abandoned SCANNER in 2018 — before many authorities — because it considered AEI a truer reflection of maintenance need. The council accepts AEI produces a worse-looking condition picture than the national laser benchmark.
That is documented knowledge that the old methodology understated deterioration. It aligns with PAS 2161 standards arriving in 2026/27, which Derby references in its report.
Questions worth asking
- • If AEI shows worse condition, did inspection frequency increase to match?
- • Was your road's AEI section rated amber or red before your incident?
- • Did planned maintenance on the 2025/26 programme include your street?
- • Can the council cite AEI honesty while disputing a defect visible in your photos?
Planned work vs reactive pressure
Three years of maintenance activity from Derby's transparency report
| Activity | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carriageway resurfaced (km) | 9.6 | 6.7 | 8.6 |
| Carriageway preserved (km) | 15.4 | 11.2 | 15.1 |
| Footway resurfaced (km) | 8.6 | 4.5 | 6.5 |
| Footway preserved (km) | 13.1 | 18.3 | 15.4 |
2025/26 programme snapshot
- • 9.5km carriageway resurfacing planned
- • 91,376m² carriageway preservation (surface dressing / micro surfacing)
- • 12,500m² patching programme
- • 4,193 potholes estimated (continuing upward trend)
- • London Road, Grampian Way, Max Road resurfacing
- • Moorway Lane in-situ recycling (81% material reused on Lime Lane in 2024)
- • A6 Duffield Road and Uttoxeter New Road surface treatments
- • £1.4m drainage improvements; £2.1m structures work
Named schemes show where capital is flowing. If your incident was on an unlisted residential street, the gap between programme publicity and your road's treatment is itself evidence.
Claiming against an AMBER city council
Honest assessment: Derby runs a structured asset-management programme — here is how that shapes your claim
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ GREEN best practice — ISO-aligned asset management policy and strategy
- ✓ 80% preventative spend share in 2024/25, rising from 60% in 2020/21
- ✓ 100% annual AEI survey of A and B/C roads
- ✓ U-road RED share improved from 10% to 7% in 2024
- ✓ Documented innovation — warm-mix asphalt, in-situ recycling, EMCCA regional planning
Expect a well-prepared Section 58 defence citing asset-management processes and inspection regimes.
What works in yours
- ✗ AMBER condition — A-road green share halved from 79% to 30% since 2022
- ✗ 67% of B/C roads in RED or amber; 17% RED sustained since 2020
- ✗ 611km of U-roads with only 25–50% condition-surveyed annually
- ✗ 3,844 pothole repairs in 2024/25 — defects forming faster than programmes prevent
- ✗ Council admits AEI shows worse condition than SCANNER — cannot have it both ways
The winning strategy here is specificity
Against a council with GREEN best practice and an 80% preventative spend ratio, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (FixMyStreet, Derby report-it) — proof of actual notice
- • Photos showing defect size, depth and visible age (weathered edges, previous patching)
- • Road class — on a U-road, the 25–50% survey gap is your strongest structural argument
- • A-road or B/C route — cite the AEI tables showing amber/red share on that network tier
- • Confirm you are claiming against Derby City Council, not Derbyshire County Council
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Derby's own transparency data where it helps you.
Report the pothole to Derby first
Derby's transparency report covers reactive maintenance undertaken in line with Section 41 and Section 58 statutory undertakings. Reporting the defect through the council creates a dated record — useful evidence if the pothole was reported before your incident, or if the council failed to repair it within a reasonable time.
Report a pothole to Derby City CouncilUse the council's online report-it form or myAccount service. Keep your reference number and any confirmation emails.
Hit a pothole in Derby?
A data-driven council demands an evidence-led claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No U-road survey-gap argument
- • No A-road condition-collapse data
- • Risk claiming against Derbyshire by mistake
Professional claim pack
- ✅ A-road green collapse 79% → 30% documented
- ✅ 611km U-road partial-survey gap argued
- ✅ 3,844 pothole repairs in 2024/25 cited
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Derby City Council
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently asked questions
Is Derby City Council the same as Derbyshire County Council for pothole claims?
No. Derby is a unitary city council maintaining 765.45km of carriageway within the city boundary. Derbyshire County Council maintains roads outside the city. If your incident was on a road inside Derby — for example London Road, Uttoxeter New Road or a residential street in Alvaston or Mickleover — your claim is against Derby City Council, not the county.
Derby earns a GREEN best-practice scorecard — can I still claim?
Yes. Best practice reflects asset-management processes, not whether the specific pothole that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired. Derby's own AEI data shows A-road “green” share fell from 79% in 2022 to 30% in 2024, B and C roads remain at 17% RED, and the council filled an estimated 3,844 potholes in 2024/25. Section 58 turns on the defect, not the scorecard colour.
What if my pothole was on a residential street in Derby?
Unclassified roads make up 610.94km — roughly 80% of Derby City Council's 765.45km network. The council surveys only 25% to 50% of U-roads each year under DfT reporting standards. At the last published survey, 7% of U-roads were in RED condition (down from a steady 10% in 2021–2023).
Derby says rising pothole repairs mean roads are improving — does that weaken my claim?
Not necessarily — but it is an argument the council may deploy. Derby attributes higher repair counts partly to £1.2 million of DfT Pothole Fund patching and fixing multiple defects in one visit. That does not prove the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was caught in time. Prior reports, photos showing defect age, and the council's own condition tables remain the decisive evidence.
Does Derby's switch to AEI surveys help or hurt my claim?
It cuts both ways. Derby moved to Annual Engineering Inspection in 2018 and states openly that AEI “may show more of the road network in poor condition than SCANNER” because it assesses entire maintenance sections. If your incident post-dates AEI reporting, the council chose a methodology that shows 61% of A-roads in amber condition — and cannot revert to SCANNER to downplay it.
Derby's capital spend now matches its DfT allocation — what does AMBER spend mean?
From 2022/23 onwards Derby's capital spend has matched its DfT allocation year-on-year (unlike the £9 million cabinet boost split across 2020/21 and 2021/22). The AMBER spend scorecard reflects that recent alignment. For your claim, condition data matters more: 67% of B and C roads are in RED or amber categories, and reactive pothole filling still runs at roughly 3,800 repairs a year.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Derby City Council Local Highway Maintenance Transparency Report (November 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 AMBER; 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.