Source
Department for Transport — Local road maintenance ratings 2025 to 2026
amberOverall|amber Conditiongreen Spendamber Best Practice
Halton: One in Four Residential Roads Now RED
Halton Borough Council's own survey data shows 27% of unclassified roads in RED condition in 2024 — up from just 5% in 2021. That is roughly 115km of residential streets across Runcorn and Widnes in poor condition, while the council filled 11,754 potholes in five years. The DfT rates Halton AMBER overall despite GREEN spend.
27%
U-roads in RED condition (2024)
Up from 5% in 2021, 14% in 2022 and 22% in 2023 — a sustained five-year climb on the 425km of residential roads that make up 69% of Halton's network.
What The Condition Data Shows
Five years of survey data from Halton's own DfT transparency return — A-roads stable, B and C roads slipping, U-roads in sustained decline
A-roads (86.4km — 14% of network): broadly stable
1.1%
RED (2024)
down from 1.9% in 2021
14.2%
Amber
broadly flat since 2020
94.5%
Green
up from 84.5% in 2020
Main roads including the A56 and A562 are in comparatively good shape. But A-roads are just one-seventh of the borough's maintainable carriageway network.
B and C roads (106km — 17% of network): amber rising
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2% | 23.6% | 74% |
| 2021 | 1.6% | 13.4% | 73.8% |
| 2022 | 1.8% | 15% | 83% |
| 2023 | 2.3% | 15% | 82.6% |
| 2024 | 2% | 16.7% | 81.2% |
Amber B and C roads have climbed from 13.4% to 16.7% since 2021, and green condition has fallen from 83% to 81.2%. Nearly one in five classified local roads now needs maintenance attention or will soon.
GREEN Spend, Low Preventative Share
£7.1m
DfT capital allocation 2025/26
£7.1m
Projected capital spend 2025/26
13%
Estimated preventative share
Halton matches its DfT allocation pound for pound and earns a GREEN spend scorecard — but only 13% of projected 2025/26 maintenance is classed as preventative, with 16% reactive. Capital has risen sharply since 2020/21 (£1.64m) thanks to Liverpool City Region funding, yet U-road RED condition has still quintupled.
The 425km Residential Network
69% of Halton's maintainable carriageways are unclassified roads — and RED condition has climbed every year since 2021
| Year | U-roads in RED condition | Approx. km in RED |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5% | ~21km |
| 2022 | 14% | ~60km |
| 2023 | 22% | ~94km |
| 2024 | 27% | ~115km |
“For the unclassified network (U roads) the scoring is based on a visual survey carried out over a number of years to give a full network coverage. This only gives a red/green output and is very subjective to an inspector walking those sections and has proved very difficult to get accurate repeatable data. DfT has shared a view that comparison of this data on a national basis was unreliable.”
— Halton Borough Council Local Highway Maintenance Transparency Report, Appendix A (June 2025)
The Subjective Survey Problem
Unlike A, B and C roads — surveyed annually by laser-equipped vehicles — Halton's U-roads rely on visual inspection by highways officers walking sections over several years. The council itself admits this is subjective and hard to repeat consistently.
For a pothole claim, that matters: if the council cannot produce reliable, repeatable condition data for the road where you were damaged, its Section 58 defence rests on inspection records and reactive repair logs — not network-level certainty.
PAS2161 Transition Pending
Halton notes that from 2026/27 the DfT will mandate BSI PAS2161 surveying with accredited suppliers, replacing the current three-category RED/amber/green system with five finer-grained categories.
Until then, U-road condition reporting remains the subjective visual method the council and DfT both acknowledge is unreliable for national comparison — a gap in the evidence base underpinning best practice.
Why This Matters For Section 58
To rely on the Section 58 defence, Halton must show it had a reasonable system for knowing the condition of its roads. For the 425km U-road network, ask:
- • When was your road last visually surveyed — and was it in the 27% RED category?
- • If subjective U-road data is unreliable nationally, how does Halton defend knowledge of your specific street?
- • With RED U-roads climbing 22 percentage points in four years, what preventative action was taken on residential routes?
- • Does the council's Horizons asset management system hold independent survey data for your road, or only inspector feedback?
A council that admits its own U-road condition data is subjective and unreliable cannot easily claim comprehensive network knowledge — especially when RED rates keep rising.
11,754 Potholes in Five Years
Reactive repair volumes surged as U-road condition deteriorated — the scale tells you how many defects this network produces
| Year | Potholes filled | Change vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 540 | — |
| 2021/22 | 1,049 | +94% |
| 2022/23 | 3,446 | +229% |
| 2023/24 | 3,592 | +4% |
| 2024/25 | 3,127 | −13% |
| Five-year total | 11,754 | ~6 per day average |
Six Potholes a Day, Every Day
Averaged over five years, Halton fills around six potholes per day across its 617.4km network. The surge from 540 fills in 2020/21 to over 3,400 in each of the following two years coincides with U-road RED rates climbing from 5% to 22%. A network producing defects at that rate is one where potholes routinely form between inspections.
3,500 More Planned for 2025/26
Halton estimates around 3,500 pothole repairs for 2025/26 — in line with recent years. Carriageways are identified via the Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan, Horizons survey data, inspector feedback and areas of intensive reactive repair. Reactive volume at this level is not a sign the underlying network is healthy.
Runcorn, Widnes and the River Crossings
Halton's geography shapes which roads you can claim against — and which you cannot
Maintainable network (617.4km)
- • A-roads: 86.4km (14%) — includes A56 major maintenance scheme
- • B and C roads: 106km (17%)
- • U-roads: 425km (69%) — 27% RED in 2024
- • Footways: 748km (574km adjacent to carriageways, 174km independent paths)
- • Cycleways: 112km
Highway asset valued at £2.3 billion (2021/22) — Halton's most valuable owned asset.
What Halton does not maintain
The transparency report explicitly excludes the 31.5km Mersey Gateway carriageway network because it is not maintainable at public expense. Pothole damage on the Mersey Gateway is unlikely to succeed as a claim against Halton Borough Council.
The Silver Jubilee Bridge and its approaches are within Halton's network and receive rejuvenation spray treatment in the 2025/26 programme, alongside Ditton Junction, Queensway and the Runcorn Station Quarter roundabout.
“Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 places a statutory duty on all Highway Authorities to maintain the highway network under their control. A failure to maintain or a failure to repair the highway can result in a breach of Section 41 and a claim for damages / compensation by a highway user. However, Section 58 of the Highways Act 1980 provides a special defence for the Council against a claim for an alleged breach of Section 41.”
— Halton Borough Council Local Highway Maintenance Report, June 2025
2025/26 Treatment Programme
Halton's capital programme — partly funded by £25m from the Liverpool City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement — includes:
- • Rejuvenation spray: Silver Jubilee Bridge, Ditton Junction, Queensway, Runcorn Station roundabout
- • Preservation: Queensbury Way, Fiddlers Ferry Road, Hale Road, Cronton Lane, Hough Green Lane and others
- • Resurfacing: Everite Road, Tanhouse Lane, A562 Speke Road, A56/A533 Roundabout, Palacefields Avenue junction
If your pothole was on a road not in this programme — and most U-roads are not — the council's planned works do not automatically excuse an unrepaired defect.
Claiming Against an AMBER Halton Council
Honest assessment: Halton invests its DfT allocation fully — but residential roads are deteriorating faster than preventative works reach them
What Works In The Council's Favour
- ✓ GREEN spend scorecard — matches DfT capital allocation (£7.1m in 2025/26)
- ✓ A-roads in strong condition — 94.5% green, 1.1% red
- ✓ Risk-based asset management via Horizons software and HIAMP
- ✓ Major bridge and corridor investment — Silver Jubilee, A56, LCR CRSTS funding
- ✓ Tarmac term maintenance contract with documented KPIs
Expect a documented Section 58 defence on A-roads and named programme roads. Generic claims will struggle.
What Works In Yours
- ✗ AMBER condition — 27% of U-roads RED, up from 5% in 2021
- ✗ Council admits U-road surveys are subjective and nationally unreliable
- ✗ Only 13% preventative spend projected for 2025/26
- ✗ 11,754 potholes filled in five years — defects form faster than prevention catches them
- ✗ AMBER best practice — PAS2161 transition not until 2026/27
- ✗ 69% of network is U-roads where condition data is weakest
The Winning Strategy Here Is Specificity
Against a council with GREEN spend and a Tarmac maintenance contract, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (email to Highways@halton.gov.uk, FixMyStreet) — 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, cite the 27% RED rate and subjective survey admission
- • Confirm the location is Halton-maintainable — not Mersey Gateway (excluded from council liability)
- • Whether the road appears in the 2025/26 treatment programme or is outside planned works
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Halton's own transparency data where it helps you.
Report the pothole to Halton first
Halton's transparency report references Section 41 statutory duty and the Section 58 special defence. Reporting the defect through the council creates a dated record — useful evidence if the pothole was reported before your incident, or if Halton failed to repair it within a reasonable time.
Report a pothole to Halton Borough CouncilEmail Highways@halton.gov.uk with the location and photos. For emergencies call 0303 333 4300. Keep any confirmation emails or reference numbers.
Hit a Pothole in Halton?
Runcorn, Widnes or beyond — a well-documented council demands a precise claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY Claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No U-road 27% RED argument
- • No prior-report search
- • No Mersey Gateway liability check
Professional Claim Pack
- ✅ 27% U-road RED rate documented
- ✅ Subjective survey admission quoted
- ✅ 11,754 potholes in five years cited
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Halton
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Halton earns a GREEN spend scorecard — can I still claim?
Yes. The DfT Spend scorecard is GREEN, but Halton is AMBER on overall condition and best practice. Section 58 turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired — not on aggregate spend. Halton's own data shows 27% of unclassified roads in RED condition and only 13% of projected 2025/26 maintenance spend classed as preventative.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road in Runcorn or Widnes?
U-roads make up 425km — 69% of Halton's 617.4km carriageway network. At the latest visual survey, 27% were in RED condition, up from 5% in 2021. The council itself describes U-road condition scoring as subjective and difficult to repeat accurately — which is relevant when arguing whether Halton had reasonable knowledge of your road's state.
Does the Mersey Gateway exclusion affect my claim?
Halton's transparency report explicitly excludes the 31.5km Mersey Gateway carriageway network because it is not maintainable at public expense. Claims for defects on the Mersey Gateway are unlikely to succeed against Halton. The Silver Jubilee Bridge and its approaches are within Halton's maintainable network and feature in the council's 2025/26 rejuvenation programme.
Pothole fills peaked at 3,592 in 2023/24 — does that mean the roads are fixed?
No. Halton filled 11,754 potholes over five years while U-road RED condition rose from 5% to 27%. The council estimates around 3,500 pothole repairs for 2025/26 — roughly the same reactive volume as recent years. Filling individual potholes is reactive maintenance; the underlying network condition data shows residential roads deteriorating.
Why is Halton AMBER on best practice as well as condition?
Halton follows the Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice and uses asset management software, but the council acknowledges U-road visual surveys are subjective and that DfT considers national comparison of this data unreliable. PAS2161-accredited surveying is not mandated until 2026/27. Expect a structured Section 58 defence on classified roads, but identifiable process gaps on the 425km U-road network.
Does Halton mentioning Section 58 in its own report help or hinder my claim?
It helps you understand the council's mindset, not defeat your claim. Halton's June 2025 report explicitly references Section 41 statutory duty and the Section 58 special defence. That confirms the council knows claims are possible — your job is to show the specific defect fell outside what their inspection and repair system reasonably covered, especially on U-roads where condition data is acknowledged as unreliable.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Halton Borough Council Local Highway Maintenance Transparency Report, Appendix A (18 June 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.