Source
Department for Transport — Local road maintenance ratings 2025 to 2026
amberOverall|amber Conditiongreen Spendamber Best Practice
Hackney: One in Five Residential Streets Still in RED Condition
Hackney earns a GREEN spend scorecard — projecting £5.25m capital spend against just £408,000 from the DfT — and reports up to 90% preventative maintenance. Yet the overall rating is AMBER because at the last biennial survey in 2023, 19% of U-roads were in RED condition across 208.7km of residential streets, pothole fills climbed back to 2,357 in 2024/25, and 77% of the network goes unsurveyed in alternate years.
19%
U-roads in RED at last survey (2023)
Roughly 40km of Hackney's residential streets rated poor — on a network where condition surveys happen only every other year and 10,219 potholes were filled across five years.
A Dense Urban Network
Hackney's own transparency report — 271km of carriageways in one of London's most densely populated boroughs
271.1km
Total carriageways
208.7km
U-roads (77% of network)
542.2km
Footways maintained
35.9km
A-roads (TfL-surveyed)
Shared Responsibility With TfL
Hackney maintains the borough's Principal Road Network, but TfL manages the TfL Road Network (TLRN) — the A10, A12, A503, A107 and A1202 — and conducts SCANNER condition surveys on A-roads, sharing results with the borough when published.
B and C roads (26.5km) and U-roads (208.7km) are Hackney's alone — surveyed bi-annually by an independent UKPMS-accredited consultant.
Beyond Carriageways
Hackney also maintains approximately 11,300 streetlights, 10,500 gullies, 15,500 highway trees, 33 bridges and structures, and 3,000 illuminated street furniture items — all subject to scheduled inspection regimes set out in the council's own report.
What The Condition Data Shows
Biennial survey data from Hackney's transparency report — alternate years with no readings at all
A-roads (35.9km — 13.2% of network): improving but still high RED
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Survey not carried out | ||
| 2021 | 25.83% | 11.06% | 63.05% |
| 2022 | Survey not carried out | ||
| 2023 | 18.59% | 16.67% | 64.72% |
| 2024 | Survey not carried out | ||
A-road RED share fell from 25.83% to 18.59% — genuine improvement. But at the last reading, nearly one in five A-road kilometres was still in poor condition, and there has been no survey since 2023.
B and C roads (26.5km — 9.8% of network): flat RED, slipping green
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14.80% | 9.83% | 75.21% |
| 2023 | 15.53% | 9.94% | 74.47% |
B/C roads show a small drift: RED up from 14.80% to 15.53%, green down from 75.21% to 74.47%. Not dramatic — but not improving either.
U-roads (208.7km — 77% of network): RED rising
| Year | U-roads in RED condition |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Survey not carried out |
| 2021 | 17% |
| 2022 | Survey not carried out |
| 2023 | 19% |
| 2024 | Survey not carried out |
U-road RED condition rose from 17% to 19% — approximately 39.7km of residential streets in poor condition at the last survey. The council publishes RED percentages only for U-roads, not the full amber/green breakdown.
And This Is The Well-Funded Version
£408k
DfT capital allocation 2025/26
£5.25m
Projected capital spend 2025/26
90%
Estimated preventative share
Hackney projects spending more than twelve times its DfT capital allocation — with revenue spend of £635,000 on top. The problem is not the chequebook. U-roads are still getting worse, and potholes are climbing again.
The 208.7km Blind Spot
77% of Hackney's carriageway network — surveyed only every other year
"Surveys are generally carried out bi-annually and are detailed visual inspections carried out for Hackney Council by an independent UKPMS accredited consultant."
— Hackney Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
The Alternate-Year Gap
For A-roads, B/C roads and U-roads alike, Hackney's published data shows "Survey not carried out" in 2020, 2022 and 2024. That means for incidents in those years, there is no network-level condition data at all — including for the 208.7km of residential streets that make up most of the borough.
At the last two comparable U-road surveys, 17% and 19% were in RED condition — roughly 35–40km of estate roads, residential streets and minor routes.
The "Annual" Contradiction
"Prioritising works based on a rigorous scoring system derived from annual condition surveys conducted by an independent company" — yet the condition tables show biennial surveys with blank alternate years.
For a Section 58 defence, the council must demonstrate a reasonable inspection system. Contradictory descriptions of survey frequency in its own published report is a question worth asking.
Why This Matters For Section 58
To rely on the Section 58 defence under the Highways Act 1980, a council must show it had a reasonable system for knowing the condition of its roads. For Hackney's U-road network, ask:
- • When was your road last condition-surveyed — and was it one of the blind years?
- • If 19% of U-roads were RED at the last reading, what was done about yours?
- • How does the council track deterioration on roads it measures every other year?
- • Does the council's own report describe surveys as biennial or annual?
A council cannot claim detailed knowledge of a network it only measures in alternate years — especially when RED share is rising.
10,219 Potholes in Five Years
Reactive repair volumes from Hackney's own report — falling, then climbing back
| Year | Potholes filled | Cost | % of responsive budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 2,427 | £283k | 24.60% |
| 2021/22 | 1,798 | £284k | 24.70% |
| 2022/23 | 1,619 | £380k | 33.00% |
| 2023/24 | 2,018 | £478k | 41.50% |
| 2024/25 | 2,357 | £379k | 33.00% |
| Five-year total | 10,219 | £1.80m | — |
The Rebound Pattern
Pothole fills fell from 2,427 to 1,619 between 2020/21 and 2022/23 — then climbed 46% to 2,357 by 2024/25. Reactive pothole spending hit 41.5% of the responsive budget in 2023/24, its highest point in five years. A network where defects rebound after a lull is one where prior reports and photographic evidence decide claims.
The Preventative Paradox
Hackney reports 86–90% preventative maintenance across the five-year spending table — yet pothole volumes and reactive budget share both rose again. The council's own stated aim is to move "away from a primary reliance on reactive repairs." The pothole numbers suggest that shift is incomplete.
Two Different Section 58s
Hackney protects its resurfaced roads from utilities — while defending pothole claims under a different statute
"The council applies Section 58 restrictions on newly resurfaced or upgraded roads, offering five years' protection against non-emergency utility works, helping preserve asset condition and minimise disruption."
— Hackney Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
"Hackney Council is committed to a strategic, risk-based approach to highway maintenance, aligning with industry best practice in asset management. Our aim is to increase investment in preventative maintenance, moving away from a primary reliance on reactive repairs. This shift is designed to prolong the life of our highway assets, ultimately delivering better long-term value for money by reducing the need for expensive localised interim repairs or extensive structural reconstruction in the future."
— Hackney Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
What Streetworks Section 58 Shows
Hackney applies Section 58 of the New Roads and Street Works Act to protect freshly resurfaced roads from utility excavations for five years. That is an admission that repeated digging accelerates deterioration — and that the council actively manages that risk on roads it has just invested in.
The council coordinates streetworks through LondonWorks, holds regular meetings with statutory undertakers, and reviews all permit applications before approval.
What Highways Act Section 58 Means For You
Your pothole claim turns on Section 58 of the Highways Act 1980 — whether Hackney took reasonable care to maintain the specific road. The council's streetworks protections show it understands how excavations damage roads. The question is whether it applied the same rigour to inspecting and repairing the defect that damaged your vehicle.
If your road was recently resurfaced and then dug up by a utility company, both the council's streetworks regime and the reinstatement quality become relevant to your claim.
2025/26 Planned Programme
Hackney's forward plan for 2025/26, in the council's own words:
- • Carriageway — 18 roads scheduled for resurfacing
- • Footway — 10 footways planned for renewal
The scope of the planned maintenance programme "is determined by the available budget and prioritised based on these condition scores" — on a 271km network where 19% of U-roads were already RED. Eighteen carriageway resurfacing schemes across a borough of this density is selective, not comprehensive.
Five Years of Spending
Capital and revenue figures from Hackney's transparency report — DfT allocation vs actual spend
| Year | DfT capital (£,000s) | Capital spend (£,000s) | Revenue spend (£,000s) | Preventative | Reactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | £0 | £4,000 | £635 | 86% | 14% |
| 2022/23 | £0 | £4,000 | £635 | 86% | 14% |
| 2023/24 | £128 | £4,500 | £635 | 88% | 12% |
| 2024/25 | £128 | £4,500 | £635 | 88% | 12% |
| 2025/26 | £408 | £5,250 | £635 | 90% | 10% |
"Our strategic investment in preventative maintenance, guided by the Capital Footway and Carriageway programme, has focused on improving long-term asset performance and reducing reactive maintenance spending in highways maintenance."
— Hackney Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
Claiming Against a Well-Funded AMBER Council
Honest assessment: Hackney invests heavily — here's how that changes your approach
What Works In The Council's Favour
- ✓ GREEN spend scorecard — capital spend far exceeds DfT allocation
- ✓ 86–90% of spend classed as preventative across five years
- ✓ A-road RED share improved from 25.83% to 18.59%
- ✓ Documented asset management approach and streetworks coordination
- ✓ Independent UKPMS-accredited condition surveys
Expect a well-documented Section 58 defence on A-roads and recently resurfaced routes. Generic claims will struggle.
What Works In Yours
- ✗ AMBER condition — U-road RED share rose from 17% to 19%
- ✗ 77% of network surveyed only every other year
- ✗ 10,219 potholes filled in five years — defects rebounding since 2022/23
- ✗ Reactive pothole budget hit 41.5% in 2023/24 despite preventative spend claims
- ✗ Biennial vs "annual" survey frequency contradiction in the council's own report
- ✗ Only 18 carriageway resurfacing schemes planned for 2025/26 on a 271km network
The Winning Strategy Here Is Specificity
Against a council with GREEN spend and a documented asset management strategy, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (FixMyStreet, emails to Highway.Inspectors@hackney.gov.uk) — proof of actual notice
- • Photos showing the defect's size, depth and visible age (weathered edges, previous patching)
- • The road's class — on a U-road, the biennial survey gap is your strongest structural argument
- • Whether utility excavations preceded the defect — Hackney's own streetworks data may help
- • Whether your incident fell in a survey blind year (2020, 2022 or 2024)
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Hackney's own transparency data where it helps you.
Hit a Pothole in Hackney?
A well-funded council demands a well-built claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY Claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No U-road biennial survey argument
- • No prior-report search
- • No streetworks excavation analysis
Professional Claim Pack
- ✅ U-road 19% RED condition documented
- ✅ Biennial survey gap argued
- ✅ 10,219 potholes in five years cited
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Hackney
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hackney spends more than twelve times its DfT capital allocation — can I still claim?
Yes. The DfT Spend scorecard is GREEN, but your claim turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired under Section 58 of the Highways Act 1980 — not on aggregate spend. Hackney is AMBER overall because road condition remains a concern: 19% of U-roads were in RED condition at the last survey, and A-road RED share was still 18.59% in 2023.
What if my pothole was on a residential street?
U-roads make up 208.7km — 77% of Hackney's 271.1km carriageway network. At the last survey in 2023, 19% were in RED condition — roughly 40km of residential streets. Surveys are carried out bi-annually, so there is no condition data at all for U-roads in alternate years. If your incident fell in a blind year, the council cannot point to a contemporaneous network survey.
Does the biennial survey gap weaken Hackney's Section 58 defence?
It can. Hackney's own report states surveys "are generally carried out bi-annually" — meaning A-roads, B/C roads and U-roads were not condition-surveyed in 2020, 2022 or 2024. A council relying on Section 58 must show a reasonable system for knowing road condition. Measuring 77% of the network only every other year creates structural gaps, especially when 19% of U-roads were already RED at the last reading.
Potholes rose 46% from 2022/23 to 2024/25 despite 90% preventative spend — does that help my claim?
It strengthens the argument that reactive failure persists. Hackney reports 88–90% preventative maintenance in recent years, yet pothole fills climbed from 1,619 in 2022/23 to 2,357 in 2024/25 — and reactive pothole spending consumed 41.5% of the responsive budget in 2023/24. Defects are still forming faster than the system eliminates them, which is exactly where prior reports and photographic evidence decide claims.
Does Hackney's Section 58 streetworks protection affect my pothole claim?
No — it is a different Section 58. Hackney applies Section 58 of the New Roads and Street Works Act to protect newly resurfaced roads from utility excavations for five years. That shows the council understands how repeated digging accelerates deterioration. Your claim relies on Section 58 of the Highways Act 1980 — whether the council took reasonable care to maintain the specific road. The two provisions share a number, not a defence.
A-road RED condition improved from 25.83% to 18.59% — does that weaken claims on main roads?
It shows progress on TfL-surveyed A-roads, and you should expect a stronger Section 58 defence there. But 18.59% RED still means nearly one in five A-road kilometres was in poor condition at the last survey — and there was no A-road survey at all in 2020, 2022 or 2024. Claims on A-roads still turn on whether the specific defect was identified and repaired within reasonable timeframes, not on network-wide improvement trends.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Hackney Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 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 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.