Source
Department for Transport — Local road maintenance ratings 2025 to 2026
amberOverall|amber Conditionred Spendamber Best Practice
56,328 Pothole Repairs in 2024/25 on England's Largest Road Network
Devon County Council maintains 13,000km of roads — the largest network of any English highway authority — with AMBER DfT scorecards on overall performance, condition and best practice, and a RED spend scorecard. Its own report records 56,328 pothole repairs in 2024/25, admits "managing a decline in the more minor network," and shows U-road red condition rising from 16% in 2021 to 25% in 2024. Section 58 still turns on your specific defect.
52%
Of the network is unclassified U-roads
6,789km of residential lanes, village streets and rural access roads — where the council's transparency report describes managed decline, while planning just 14km of B, C and U class resurfacing in 2025/26.
Department for Transport Scorecards 2025/26
Official ratings from the Government's local road maintenance assessment
| Scorecard | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall | amber |
| Condition | amber |
| Spend | red |
| Best Practice | amber |
How to read this: DfT scorecards measure network-level condition, spending patterns and maintenance practice — not whether a specific pothole on your road was reasonably inspected. Devon's RED spend scorecard sits alongside three AMBER ratings. For a claim, combine these official assessments with evidence of your defect: photos, repair invoices, road class, and any prior reports you or others submitted.
Source: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026
13,000km — England's Largest Highway Network
Network scale from Devon's local highways maintenance transparency report — where pothole claims happen
13,000km
Total roads
Largest in England
6,789km
Unclassified (U) roads
52% of the network
5,170km
B and C roads
40% of carriageway
1,041km
A roads
8% of carriageway
| Asset | Scale |
|---|---|
| Footways | 2,806km |
| Bridges | 3,079 |
| Highway gullies | 212,742 |
| Urban vs rural carriageway | 2,916km urban; 77% rural |
"Roads of all types in Devon are heavily affected by seasonal variations in traffic volumes with flows increasing significantly during the summer months. This contributes to congestion, particularly on our principal routes, and increases carriageway deterioration on our minor roads."
— Devon County Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report
What the Published Condition Data Shows
Five years of SCANNER survey data — Devon reports condition on all road classes, not just A, B and C
Methodology caveat: Devon uses SCANNER laser surveys across A, B, C and U roads. The council states SCANNER data "may not fully align with the user perception of road condition" and that maintenance is "not solely determined by the result of these surveys." U-road condition is collected over a four-year cycle (50% one direction per year). From 2026/27, PAS 2161 will replace the current three-category red/amber/green system.
A roads (1,041km) — surveyed over two years
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3% | 30% | 67% |
| 2024 | 3% | 27% | 70% |
A-road condition has stayed broadly stable — 70% green in 2024. Principal routes are a small share of the network at 8%.
B and C roads (5,170km) — 40% of the network
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 14% | 36% | 50% |
| 2024 | 10% | 36% | 54% |
B/C red condition fell from 14% to 10% between 2020 and 2024 — modest improvement on the strategic network the council prioritises in its hierarchy.
Unclassified roads (6,789km) — where most claims start
| Year | Red (% requiring maintenance) |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 18% |
| 2021 | 16% |
| 2022 | 20% |
| 2023 | 23% |
| 2024 | 25% |
U-road red condition rose from 16% in 2021 to 25% in 2024 — roughly 1,697km of residential and rural network in the category the council defines as "should be considered for maintenance." The council links this trend to its managed-decline strategy on the minor network.
"Maintenance budgets provide insufficient funding to meet the annual cost of deterioration and consequently the condition of certain elements of the highway asset will get worse. Appropriate funding levels are allocated to the more strategic network to try to maintain their current conditions levels, while managing a decline in the more minor network."
— Devon County Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report
Rising Pothole Repair Volumes
Estimated potholes filled — defects passed to Devon's term maintenance contractor, including safety and non-safety repairs
| Year | Potholes filled | Change vs 2023/24 trough |
|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 55,591 | — |
| 2022/23 | 47,324 | -11.8% |
| 2023/24 | 42,329 | Baseline trough |
| 2024/25 | 56,328 | +33.1% |
| 2025/26 (projected) | 58,824 | +39.0% |
"Despite the Council's best efforts to invest in a proactive preventative approach, funding levels and impacts such as inflation and climate change has over time meant that the need for reactive maintenance is becoming more prevalent, leading to a rise in unplanned and disruptive maintenance."
— Devon County Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report
More than 150 repairs every day
56,328 pothole repairs in 2024/25 works out to roughly 154 patches per day across 13,000km. Repairs fell to 42,329 in 2023/24 before surging 33% the following year — a pattern the council links to rising reactive demand, not improved road condition.
Following the Money
Highway maintenance spending from Devon's transparency report — with £22.523m of 2025/26 funding subject to incentive criteria
| Year | DfT capital (£000s) | Capital spend (£000s) | Revenue spend (£000s) | Preventative | Reactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (proj.) | 83,640* | 83,166 | 31,183 | 90% | 10% |
| 2024/25 | 60,876 | 74,523 | 31,386 | 89% | 11% |
| 2023/24 | 68,877 | 70,658 | 29,179 | 89% | 11% |
| 2020/21 | 75,001 | 69,247 | 25,935 | 95% | 5% |
* 2025/26 total DfT allocation of £83.64m includes £22.523m "subject to incentive criteria"; baseline allocation is £61.117m. Reactive maintenance includes safety defects, incident reaction and emergencies.
RED spend scorecard — and Devon's own funding gap
The DfT Spend scorecard for Devon is RED for 2025/26 — alongside AMBER on overall, condition and best practice. Devon's transparency report separately states maintenance budgets "do not provide sufficient funding to meet the annual cost of deterioration," and £22.523m of the 2025/26 DfT allocation is subject to incentive criteria.
Preventative share vs pothole reality
Estimated preventative maintenance rose from 95% in 2020/21 to a projected 90% in 2025/26 — yet pothole fills surged from a 2023/24 trough of 42,329 to a projected 58,824. Higher preventative percentages alongside rising reactive repairs suggest defects are still forming faster than the minor network is stabilised.
Planned Work 2025/26
What Devon says it will deliver this financial year — programmes subject to change
325km
Surface dressing
23km
A class resurfacing
14km
B, C and U resurfacing
~59,000
Potholes (estimated)
"The Council will continue to prioritise available funding on the more strategic parts of the network, such as A and B carriageway classes, with the remaining budget spread across Devon's lengthy road network of 'C' and unclassified roads."
— Devon County Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report
Coverage maths on U-roads
At 25% red condition, roughly 1,697km of U-roads should be considered for maintenance. The council plans 14km of B, C and U class resurfacing in 2025/26 — structural treatment for a tiny fraction of the minor network. Programmes are subject to change due to financial pressures and climate change, per the council's own caveat.
Inspections, Surveys and Section 58
How Devon says it knows the condition of its network — and where gaps appear
Survey and inspection approach
- • All road classes: SCANNER laser surveys (A over two years; B over two years; C over four years; U over four years)
- • Public reports: pothole reports assessed on-site by trained highway safety inspectors
- • Priority potholes: 40mm vertical edge and 300mm width on roads — assessed within seven calendar days
- • Hierarchy: strategic A and B roads prioritised; C and U roads share remaining budget
Pothole definition
Devon categorises repairs by size: regular potholes (up to 1sqm), pothole patches (1–4sqm) and large pothole patches (4sqm+). Reported figures include both safety and serviceability defects.
The council states it prioritises funding and cannot afford to fix every reported problem — a relevant context if your defect was reported but not repaired before your incident.
Section 41 vs Section 58
Under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, Devon 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-level SCANNER data or DfT scorecards.
- • Was your road on the four-year U-road survey cycle — and had it been surveyed recently?
- • Did the defect meet investigatory 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?
Claiming Against an AMBER-Rated County Council
Honest assessment: Devon invests heavily on strategic routes — but its own data shows minor-road decline
What Works In The Council's Favour
- ✓ A-road condition stable at 70% green (2024)
- ✓ B/C red condition improved from 14% to 10% (2020–2024)
- ✓ Comprehensive SCANNER surveys on all road classes
- ✓ £105.9m total highways spend in 2024/25
- ✓ Documented asset management and innovation programme
Expect a structured Section 58 defence on A-roads and recently resurfaced strategic routes.
What Works In Yours
- ✗ DfT AMBER overall, condition and best practice; RED spend
- ✗ Published "managed decline" on the minor network
- ✗ U-road red condition up from 16% (2021) to 25% (2024)
- ✗ 56,328 pothole fills in 2024/25 — up 33% from 2023/24 trough
- ✗ Just 14km B/C/U resurfacing planned against 6,789km of U-roads
- ✗ Council admits insufficient funding to prevent deterioration
The Winning Strategy Here Is Specificity
Against a county with comprehensive SCANNER data and £100m+ budgets, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect and road class:
- • 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, managed-decline policy and rising red condition are structural arguments
- • Whether the council can produce inspection records for your street, not just network-wide averages
Fixtyer builds exactly this case: prior-report search, photo assessment, and citations from Devon's own transparency data where it helps you — without overstating what DfT scorecards alone prove.
Report a Pothole to Devon County Council
Reporting a defect creates a record the council had notice. Search the map first — if the pothole is already logged, select "Add me to this pothole" rather than creating a duplicate. Tell us when you reported it so we can reference it in your pack.
Report a pothole — devon.gov.ukEmergencies presenting an imminent threat to life or serious injury: call 0345 155 1004
Hit a Pothole in Devon?
England's largest network demands a precise claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY Claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No managed-decline citation
- • No prior-report search
- • No U-road deterioration data
Professional Claim Pack
- ✅ Managed-decline admission cited
- ✅ U-road red condition trend documented
- ✅ 56,328 pothole repairs in 2024/25 referenced
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Devon
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do Devon's AMBER DfT scorecards mean for my claim?
Devon County Council earns AMBER overall, on condition and on best practice — with a RED spend scorecard. Those ratings reflect network-level trends in the Government's 2025/26 assessment. Section 58 still turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired, not on headline scorecards alone. Devon's own transparency report adds context: U-road red-condition share rose from 16% in 2021 to 25% in 2024, and the council openly describes "managing a decline in the more minor network."
What is Devon's "managed decline" approach?
Devon's transparency report states that maintenance budgets "provide insufficient funding to meet the annual cost of deterioration" and that the council allocates appropriate funding to the strategic network "while managing a decline in the more minor network." U-roads make up 52% of the 13,000km network (6,789km). That is published council policy — not an allegation — and may be relevant where your incident was on a residential lane, village street or other unclassified road.
Why is the DfT Spend scorecard RED when Devon spends over £105m on highways?
The DfT Spend scorecard is separate from Devon's published budget tables. In 2024/25 the council recorded £74.523m capital spend and £31.386m revenue spend — £105.909m total — against a DfT capital allocation of £60.876m. For 2025/26, £22.523m of the £83.64m total DfT allocation is "subject to incentive criteria." Aggregate spend does not prove the individual pothole was known and repaired within inspection intervals; your road class, prior reports and photos matter more.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
Unclassified (U) roads account for 6,789km — 52% of Devon's network. SCANNER surveys show the share of U-roads in the red category rose from 16% in 2021 to 25% in 2024. U-road condition data is collected over a four-year cycle (50% one direction per year). If your incident was on a U-road, the council's published managed-decline language and deteriorating U-road trend may support a claim — but you still need evidence of the specific defect, including size, location and when it formed.
Devon filled 56,328 potholes in 2024/25 — does that mean my road was maintained?
No. Those figures include safety and non-safety defects passed to Devon's term contractor, ranging from regular potholes (up to 1sqm) to larger patches. The council projects 58,824 repairs in 2025/26. High reactive volume on England's largest road network is evidence of ongoing defect formation — not proof that your specific pothole was unavoidable or that the council had no duty to act on it sooner.
Does Devon's SCANNER data caveat affect how I should read condition statistics?
Yes. Devon uses SCANNER laser surveys across all road classes — unusually comprehensive for a county where 52% of roads are unclassified. The council warns that SCANNER measures "may not fully align with the user perception of road condition" and that maintenance is "not solely determined by the result of these surveys." Other factors, including local priorities and risk-based asset management, determine where work is carried out. Survey snapshots may not reflect the condition of your road on the day of your incident.
How do I report a pothole to Devon County Council?
Report potholes via the council's online form at devon.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/report-a-problem/report-a-pothole/. Search the map first — if the defect is already logged, select "Add me to this pothole" rather than creating a duplicate. For emergencies presenting an imminent threat to life or serious injury, call 0345 155 1004. Prior reports 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 | Devon County Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report. 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 RED; 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.