East Riding: RED Spend Rating, Deteriorating Local Roads
East Riding of Yorkshire Council is one of the few authorities nationally with a RED DfT Spend scorecard — while its overall rating stays AMBER. The council forecasts capital spend below its 2025/26 DfT allocation, plans just 12km of resurfacing across 3,551km, and admits unclassified roads are deteriorating 2–4% a year even as it filled 163,865 potholes in five years.
Why The Spend Scorecard Is RED
Five years of capital allocation versus spend from East Riding's own transparency report — and what the DfT's RED rating signals
| Year | DfT capital allocated | Capital spend | Revenue spend | Preventative | Reactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | £22,622k | £18,897k | £10,561k | 72% | 18% |
| 2021/22 | £14,893k | £19,793k | £11,344k | 74% | 15% |
| 2022/23 | £13,793k | £19,288k | £11,723k | 72% | 17% |
| 2023/24 | £17,998k | £20,059k | £10,474k | 74% | 16% |
| 2024/25 | £15,546k | £19,657k | £10,710k | 76% | 13% |
| 2025/26 (proj.) | £22,015k | £20,413k | £10,849k | 77% | 12% |
The Resurfacing Gap
East Riding manages 3,551km of carriageway with a modern-day replacement value of £3.2 billion. Yet DfT-published treatment projections show only 12km of resurfacing planned for 2025/26 — less than one-third of one per cent of the network receiving structural renewal in a single year.
That is the spend story behind the RED scorecard: preventative surface dressing on hundreds of kilometres, but minimal full resurfacing — while pothole reactive spend rose from 16% to 22% of reactive maintenance between 2020/21 and 2024/25.
What The Condition Data Shows
Excellent A-roads, middling B/C roads, and a deteriorating unclassified network — on 3,551km across rural Yorkshire
A-roads (373km): among the best nationally
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1% | 17% | 82% |
| 2021 | 0% | 13% | 87% |
| 2022 | 1% | 24% | 75% |
| 2023 | 2% | 27% | 71% |
| 2024 | 1% | 21% | 78% |
Credit where due: SCANNER surveys 100% of A-roads annually, and only 1% are in poor condition in 2024 — though these roads carry nearly half of all traffic.
B and C roads (1,267km): ~4% RED, stable but not improving
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4% | 31% | 65% |
| 2021 | 2% | 24% | 74% |
| 2022 | 2% | 25% | 73% |
| 2023 | 4% | 27% | 69% |
| 2024 | 4% | 26% | 70% |
100% of B roads and 50% of C roads surveyed annually by SCANNER. RED-condition B/C roads sit at roughly 4% — about 51km needing maintenance intervention at the last survey.
Unclassified roads (1,911km): deteriorating 2–4% a year
| Year | U-roads in RED condition |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 24% |
| 2021 | 27% |
| 2022 | 16% |
| 2023 | 18% |
| 2024 | 22% |
At 22% RED in 2024, roughly 420km of residential streets, estate roads and rural lanes should have been considered for maintenance — surveyed by CVI via RoadAI, not SCANNER.
Two Networks, Two Survey Standards
SCANNER laser surveys on busy roads — drive-by CVI on the 1,911km where estates are too narrow for the van
"The SCANNER technology is not used to survey unclassified network as it is a lot more expensive than other methods and provides more detailed analysis that is not necessary for the unclassified network. The vehicle which carries out the survey has historically been too large to traverse many estate routes."
— East Riding of Yorkshire Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
"However, with current investment levels, the Unclassified road network has been deteriorating by 2-4% annually. This does not mean that the network is unsafe, but it does mean it may not look good."
— East Riding of Yorkshire Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
SCANNER routes (A, B, partial C)
- • 100% of A-roads surveyed annually
- • 100% of B roads and 50% of C roads in one direction
- • Laser-based Surface Condition Assessment for the National Network of Roads
- • Best data the council holds — strongest Section 58 defence territory
CVI routes (unclassified)
- • RoadAI from Vaisala — Coarse Visual Inspection format
- • 54% of the network on a simpler, cheaper survey method
- • PAS 2161 five-category methodology mandated from 2026/27
- • Estate routes historically inaccessible to SCANNER vehicles
Why This Matters For Section 58
Under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, East Riding must maintain highways reasonably. Under Section 58, it can defend claims only if it proves a reasonable inspection and repair system. For over half the network, ask:
- • Was your road CVI-surveyed — and how recently?
- • If 22% of U-roads are RED, what was done about deterioration on yours?
- • Can a council claim detailed knowledge on roads it deliberately does not SCANNER-survey?
- • Does a 2–4% annual deterioration rate on U-roads under current investment meet a reasonable standard?
A council that admits managed decline on local roads cannot treat every pothole claim as unforeseeable.
163,865 Potholes in Five Years
Reactive maintenance rising as a share of spend — even as preventative share climbs
| Year | Potholes filled | % of reactive spend on potholes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 26,969 | 16% |
| 2021/22 | 29,756 | 16% |
| 2022/23 | 31,802 | 14% |
| 2023/24 | 35,323 | 18% |
| 2024/25 | 31,015 | 22% |
| Five-year total | 163,865 | — |
~90 Potholes a Day, Every Day
Averaged over five years, East Riding fills around 90 potholes per day across its network. Between 2020/21 and 2024/25, the share of reactive maintenance spend consumed by pothole filling rose from 16% to 22% — patching is costing more even as the council shifts toward preventative work.
Planned work 2020–2024
The council reports 1,131km of carriageway planned repairs and 225km of footway repairs delivered between 2020 and 2024 — alongside 12 bridge repairs and 1,350 street lanterns replaced. Preventative delivery is real, but U-road deterioration continues under current investment levels.
Strategic Routes First — Local Roads Last
The council's own words on where investment goes — and what that means for rural lanes
"We have some of the best condition A roads in the country. Only 1% of our A roads are considered to be in a poor condition needing maintenance. This has been our strategy as these roads take almost half the traffic in the East Riding, even though they make up on 10% of our network."
— East Riding of Yorkshire Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
"While reactive maintenance is necessary, it is more expensive than planned maintenance. Our goal is to reduce these costs by shifting toward preventative strategies that are both timely and cost-effective."
— East Riding of Yorkshire Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
The Rural Network Reality
East Riding is a predominantly rural authority covering 930 square miles with a scattered population of approximately 334,200. People travel further and rely more on cars — yet 53.8% of carriageway length is unclassified, surveyed by CVI rather than SCANNER, and deteriorating under a strategy that prioritises A, B and C routes.
That is not negligence in the abstract — it is a documented funding choice. For your claim, the question is whether that choice was reasonable for your specific road and defect at the time you were damaged.
Claiming Against an AMBER Council With a RED Spend Rating
Honest assessment: East Riding is not North Lincolnshire — but the spend scorecard is worse
What Works In The Council's Favour
- ✓ A-road condition among the best nationally — 1% poor in 2024
- ✓ Preventative maintenance share rising — 72% to 77% since 2020/21
- ✓ Capital spend exceeded DfT allocation in four of the last five years
- ✓ 1,131km of planned carriageway repairs delivered 2020–2024
- ✓ AMBER best practice — AI condition monitoring, Live Labs 2 trials, ISO-aligned TAMP
Expect a competent Section 58 defence on SCANNER-surveyed A and B roads. Generic claims on strategic routes will struggle.
What Works In Yours
- ✗ RED DfT Spend scorecard — projected underspend vs 2025/26 allocation
- ✗ Only 12km resurfacing planned for 3,551km — minimal structural renewal
- ✗ 22% of U-roads RED — ~420km needing maintenance intervention
- ✗ U-roads deteriorating 2–4% annually under current investment
- ✗ 163,865 pothole repairs in five years — defects forming faster than renewal
- ✗ No SCANNER on 54% of network — CVI on estate routes SCANNER vans cannot reach
The Winning Strategy Here Is Specificity
Against a council with excellent A-road data and a RED spend rating, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect and road class:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (FixMyStreet, council reports) — proof of actual notice
- • Photos showing defect size, depth and visible age (weathered edges, previous patching)
- • Road class — on a U-road, the CVI survey gap and 22% RED network rate are your strongest structural arguments
- • Timing relative to CVI survey cycles and the 2026/27 PAS 2161 methodology change
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites East Riding's own transparency data — including the RED spend rating and U-road deterioration admissions — where they help you.
Hit a Pothole in the East Riding?
A RED spend rating and 163,865 repairs demand a precise claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY Claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No RED spend underspend argued
- • No U-road CVI survey gap cited
- • No prior-report search
Professional Claim Pack
- ✅ RED DfT spend scorecard documented
- ✅ 22% U-road RED condition cited
- ✅ 163,865 pothole repairs in five years referenced
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to East Riding
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
East Riding has a RED spend rating — what does that mean for my pothole claim?
The DfT Spend scorecard is RED — one of only a handful of councils nationally — because East Riding's projected capital spend falls short of its DfT allocation and its resurfacing programme is minimal relative to network size. For 2025/26 the council forecasts £20.413m capital spend against £22.015m allocated, and plans just 12km of carriageway resurfacing across 3,551km. That under-investment context matters when the council argues it lacked resources to prevent your defect — but Section 58 still turns on whether your specific pothole was reasonably inspected and repaired.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
U-roads make up 1,911km — 54% of the East Riding network — and 22% were in RED condition at the last survey in 2024. That is roughly 420km of estate roads, village lanes and rural routes. The council surveys U-roads by Coarse Visual Inspection via RoadAI, not SCANNER, and admits SCANNER vehicles have historically been too large for many estate routes. Your strongest structural arguments often sit on this road class.
East Riding says its A-roads are among the best in the country — does that weaken my claim?
Only if your incident was on an A-road. The council reports just 1% of A-roads in poor condition needing maintenance — and A-roads carry nearly half of traffic on only 10% of the network. If your pothole was on a B, C or unclassified road, the council's own data shows a different picture: approximately 4% of B/C roads in RED condition and U-roads deteriorating 2–4% annually under current investment levels.
Pothole repairs fell to 31,015 in 2024/25 — does that mean the roads are fixed?
No. East Riding still filled 31,015 potholes in 2024/25 — about 85 every day — and reactive pothole work consumed 22% of reactive maintenance spend that year, up from 16% in 2020/21. The five-year total is 163,865 pothole repairs. The council's own goal is to reduce reactive costs by shifting to preventative work — but U-roads are still deteriorating annually.
Why does East Riding not use SCANNER surveys on unclassified roads?
The council states SCANNER is not used on the unclassified network because it is more expensive, provides analysis beyond what is necessary for U-roads, and the survey vehicle has historically been too large to traverse many estate routes. CVI via RoadAI is cheaper but less precise. A council choosing simpler surveys on 54% of its network cannot later claim the same detailed condition knowledge it has on SCANNER-surveyed A and B roads.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | East Riding of Yorkshire Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.