Source
Department for Transport — Local road maintenance ratings 2025 to 2026
amberOverall|amber Conditiongreen Spendred Best Practice
Dudley Road Maintenance Ratings 2025-2026
Dudley is AMBER overall and for condition, GREEN for spend and RED for best practice in the England-only DfT ratings. These network-level bands do not establish notice, breach or liability for a particular pothole.
Last reviewed: 19 July 2026
25%
U-road condition-survey coverage each year
On 853.4km of residential and estate roads — a four-year cycle meaning roughly three-quarters of the unclassified network may not be condition-surveyed in any given year. This does not state the frequency of safety inspections.
What the DfT Scorecards Actually Show
Four separate scorecards for 2025/26 — condition metrics and programme ratings are not the same thing
| Scorecard | Rating | What it reflects |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | amber | Combined assessment across condition, spend and best practice |
| Condition | amber | Network-wide road condition — dragged down by U-road scores |
| Spend | green | Capital and revenue investment relative to DfT expectations |
| Best Practice | red | Maintenance programme standards — inspection regimes, prevention vs reaction |
| Road class | Condition score | % in poor condition |
|---|---|---|
| A-roads (94.7km) | 86/100 | 2% |
| B/C roads (85.1km) | 86/100 | 2% |
| U-roads (853.4km) | 42/100 | 18% |
Source caveat: DfT scorecards assess the 2025/26 reporting period. Condition scores are network-level metrics derived from council survey data — they may not reflect the state of your specific road at the time of your incident. Dudley's July 2025 transparency report uses its own survey methodology; figures below come from that report unless labelled as DfT scorecards.
Source: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026
1,033.2km of Roads — Mostly Residential
Network breakdown from Dudley's July 2025 transparency report — where pothole claims actually happen
1,033.2km
Total carriageway
853.4km
Unclassified (U) roads
82.6% of the network
94.7km
A roads
85.1km
B and C roads
| Road type | Length | % of network | % in poor condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-roads | 94.7 km | 9.2% | 2% |
| B/C roads | 85.1 km | 8.2% | 2% |
| U-roads | 853.4 km | 82.6% | 18% |
Classified roads — where investment landed
Dudley received £9.2 million (2016) and £3.9 million (2019) in Challenge Fund grants specifically for classified roads. A and B/C routes now score 86/100 with just 2% in poor condition — but classified roads are under 18% of the carriageway network.
U-roads — where most journeys happen
School runs, estate streets and local shopping trips use unclassified roads. At 18% poor condition, that is roughly 154km of U-road network the council itself classifies as needing maintenance — on roads condition-surveyed on a four-year cycle.
Inspections, Surveys and Section 58
Dudley's network condition surveys and location-specific safety inspections are different records
B and C roads
100%
Condition-surveyed in both directions over a two-year period
Equivalent to 50% condition-surveyed annually
U-roads (853.4km — 82.6% of network)
25%
Condition-surveyed each year on a four-year cycle
Roughly three-quarters not condition-surveyed in any given year
Section 41 vs Section 58
Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 concerns the duty to maintain public highways. If Dudley relies on Section 58, records that may be relevant to a specific incident include its safety-inspection policy, completed inspections, defect reports, risk assessments and repair history for the location. Network condition scores do not answer those questions.
Condition surveys do not replace safety inspections. Dudley's four-year condition-survey cycle describes network monitoring; it is not evidence of the safety-inspection interval for a particular road and does not determine whether a Section 58 defence is established.
- • The applicable safety-inspection policy and completed records for the road
- • Any recorded defect assessment and intervention criteria applied at the location
- • Dudley's own logs for reports concerning the same defect, including receipt and status
- • Risk assessments, repair instructions and completed repair records for the relevant period
"The minor side roads can create an enormous volume of defect reports which need to be inspected and categorised for severity"
— Dudley Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (July 2025)
GREEN Spend, RED Best Practice
Maintenance spending 2025/26 from Dudley's transparency report — prevention vs reaction
£16m
Total highways budget
£10.76m
Capital spend
£5.23m
Revenue spend
3.67×
Reactive vs preventative
6%
Preventative maintenance
Treatments that stop potholes forming
22%
Reactive maintenance
Fixing potholes after they form
Why Best Practice is RED
For every £1 spent preventing potholes, Dudley spends £3.67 fixing them after they form. The council's own report quotes HMEP guidance:
"Prevention is better than cure — intervening at the right time will reduce the number of potholes forming and prevent bigger problems later"
Yet 2025/26 budgets allocate 6% to prevention and 22% to reaction — a pattern the DfT Best Practice scorecard rates RED.
5,758 Potholes Filled in 2022/23 — Then the Daytime Blitz
Estimated potholes filled from Dudley's transparency report — reactive workload on the unclassified network
| Year | Potholes filled | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 2,507 | — |
| 2021/22 | 2,209 | — |
| 2022/23 | 5,758 | Peak year |
| 2023/24 | 2,564 | — |
| 2024/25 | 2,706 | Latest reported year |
The Daytime Blitz
"A Daytime Blitz is also underway on the Unclassified network but predominantly estate roads which are sometimes overlooked but we recognise that the minor side roads can create an enormous volume of defect reports which need to be inspected and categorised for severity, so the Daytime Blitz works is attacking this problem head-on."
— Dudley Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (July 2025)
The council plans to spend £1.3m on the programme, targeting around 30,000 square metres of potholes on the unclassified network. This is programme-level context and does not show what Dudley knew about a specific defect.
U-road condition trend
Dudley's report shows the percentage of U-roads in poor (RED) condition falling from 29% in 2020 to 18% in 2025 — improvement, but 18% of 853.4km is still roughly 154km of residential network in poor condition, on roads condition-surveyed only 25% each year. Improvement at network level does not prove your specific street was maintained to a reasonable standard.
What Dudley's Report States
Verbatim statements from the July 2025 transparency report
On neglected estate roads
"The Unclassified network but predominantly estate roads which are sometimes overlooked"
— Dudley Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (July 2025)
On prevention vs cure
"Prevention is better than cure — intervening at the right time will reduce the number of potholes forming and prevent bigger problems later"
— HMEP Guidance, cited in Dudley Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (July 2025)
The council cites this principle while budgeting 6% for prevention and 22% for reactive repairs in 2025/26 — a disconnect the DfT Best Practice scorecard rates RED.
Assessing Dudley's Network Data
Network-level strengths and weaknesses to keep separate from the evidence for a specific incident
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ A and B/C roads at 86/100 with 2% poor condition
- ✓ GREEN Spend scorecard — £10.76m capital budget projected for 2025/26
- ✓ Challenge Fund investment on classified routes (£9.2m in 2016, £3.9m in 2019)
- ✓ U-road poor-condition share falling from 29% to 18% over five years
- ✓ B/C roads condition-surveyed 100% in both directions over two years
The authority may rely on these records, but the evidence for the specific location still needs to be assessed.
Records to examine
- ✗ RED Best Practice scorecard from the DfT
- • 853.4km of U-roads — 82.6% of network — on a four-year condition-survey cycle, not a stated safety-inspection interval
- ✗ U-road condition score 42/100; 18% still in poor condition
- • The report says estate roads are "sometimes overlooked"
- ✗ £1.3m Daytime Blitz to catch up on unclassified backlog
- ✗ 6% prevention vs 22% reactive spend — 3.67× reactive ratio
Keep the assessment location-specific
Dudley's network ratings do not decide an individual claim. Review evidence about the specific defect and road class:
- • Dudley's own logs confirming whether and when the same defect was reported
- • Photos showing defect size, depth and age (weathered edges, previous patching)
- • Road class and the applicable safety-inspection records, not condition surveys alone
- • Council statements and the Daytime Blitz used only as programme-level context
Mac can organise the information you provide and identify third-party report leads for you to verify. Neither the DfT ratings nor those leads establish notice or liability.
Report a pothole to Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Report a defect through Dudley's portal and retain its acknowledgement. A third-party report alone does not prove Dudley received it.
Report a pothole — dudley.gov.ukHit a Pothole in Dudley?
A two-tier network demands a precise claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • Find Dudley's location-specific records yourself
- • Check third-party report leads yourself
- • Keep network ratings in their proper context
Professional claim pack
- ✅ U-road 42/100 condition score labelled as network context
- ✅ Condition surveys kept separate from safety inspections
- ✅ RED Best Practice and Daytime Blitz sources identified
- ✅ Third-party report leads identified for verification
- ✅ Section 58 records organised for your review
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently asked questions
Does Dudley's AMBER overall DfT rating mean I cannot claim?
No. The England-only DfT bands are network-level context: AMBER overall and condition, GREEN spend and RED best practice. The outcome of an individual claim depends on the specific incident and evidence; the ratings do not establish notice, breach or liability.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
Dudley's July 2025 transparency report records 853.4km of unclassified roads and a four-year condition-survey cycle, with 25% surveyed each year. These network figures do not show when a particular street was safety-inspected or what was known about a specific defect; request the location records.
Dudley maintains A and B roads well — does that weaken my claim?
The report records A and B/C roads at 86/100 with roughly 2% in poor condition. Those network metrics do not determine the condition, inspection history or liability for the incident location.
What is the Daytime Blitz and why does it matter?
Dudley's July 2025 transparency report describes a £1.3 million "Daytime Blitz" targeting around 30,000 square metres on the unclassified network and says estate roads are "sometimes overlooked". That is programme-level context, not evidence of notice, breach or liability for a specific defect.
Does the RED Best Practice scorecard decide my claim?
No. The DfT Best Practice band is separate from condition and spend and is network-level context only. It does not establish what Dudley knew about a specific defect or determine a Section 58 defence.
Dudley has a GREEN Spend scorecard — can I still claim?
Yes. GREEN spend reflects aggregate programme information and does not decide an individual claim. Use photographs and request the authority's report, inspection and repair records for the location.
How do I report a pothole to Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council?
Report defects via Dudley Council's online form and keep the acknowledgement. A FixMyStreet entry is a lead to verify, not proof Dudley received or matched it to the same defect.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Dudley Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (July 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 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.