Herefordshire: B and C Roads in RED Have Doubled
Herefordshire maintains 3,338km of roads across one of England's most rural counties — more than 80% of the network is rural — and earns GREEN for Spend with £50.87m planned in 2025/26. Yet the overall DfT rating is AMBER: B and C roads in RED condition doubled from 6–8% to 13% by 2024, green-condition local roads fell from 62% to 51%, and the council filled 106,650 potholes in four years.
What The Condition Data Shows
Five years of SCANNER and Road AI survey data from Herefordshire's own transparency report — A-roads slipping, B and C roads in sharp decline
The network (3,338km total — overwhelmingly rural)
Herefordshire's own report states the network is “predominantly rural in its nature with more than 80% of the network being considered rural from a highway perspective.” There are also 747km of footways, 40km of cycleways and in excess of 800 highway structures — with structures in poor or very poor condition rising from 14.92% in 2019/20 to 26.4% by 2023/24.
A-roads (383km — 11.5% of network): recent slip
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5% | 28% | 67% |
| 2021 | 5% | 27% | 69% |
| 2022 | 5% | 25% | 70% |
| 2023 | 5% | 24% | 71% |
| 2024 | 7% | 28% | 65% |
A-roads had been improving steadily through 2023 — then RED share jumped from 5% to 7% and green roads fell six points in a single year. All condition figures carry the council's footnote that they do not show the benefit of investment from 2024/25 onwards.
B and C roads (1,390km — 42% of network): declining sharply
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 7% | 32% | 61% |
| 2021 | 6% | 32% | 62% |
| 2022 | 6% | 32% | 62% |
| 2023 | 8% | 32% | 60% |
| 2024 | 13% | 36% | 51% |
RED-condition B/C roads more than doubled from 6% to 13% between 2021 and 2024 — roughly 181km of local classified roads now in the worst category. Green roads fell from 62% to 51%: almost half the B/C network is amber or red and needs — or will soon need — maintenance. B roads are surveyed annually; C roads on a three-year cycle.
GREEN Spend — But Condition Still AMBER
Herefordshire spends nearly double its DfT allocation — £50.87m total against £26.859m in grant funding — earning a GREEN Spend scorecard. But preventative maintenance was just 12.1% in 2024/25, and the council admits striking the balance between reactive demand and prevention “has proved difficult.” Local roads are still deteriorating faster than the published survey data captures.
The 1,566km Rural Backbone
Nearly half the network is unclassified — surveyed with AI, but one in five in RED condition
| Year | U-roads in RED condition |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 19% |
| 2021 | 26% |
| 2022 | 26% |
| 2023 | 14% |
| 2024 | 20% |
Road AI — Better Surveys, Same Rural Risk
Herefordshire replaced four-year Course Visual Inspections with Vaisala Road AI in 2020, surveying 50% of the U-road network annually on a two-year full cycle. The council chose this because results are “more closely aligned to the actual experience of users” — but at the 2024 survey, 20% of U-roads were still in RED condition — approximately 313km of village lanes, farm tracks and estate roads.
The council was an early adopter of jet patching on C and U-roads — innovation that helps repairs, but does not eliminate the defects that trigger claims.
The Survey Timing Gap
Herefordshire's own report warns that survey frequency can delay capturing the benefit of investment: a road resurfaced after a survey may not show improvement until the next cycle. Every published condition figure carries the footnote that it does not reflect investment from 2024/25 onwards.
For claims on rural roads, ask whether safety inspections — not just condition surveys — should have identified your defect regardless of when the last Road AI pass occurred.
Why This Matters For Section 58
To rely on the Section 58 defence, a council must show it had a reasonable system for knowing the condition of its roads. For Herefordshire's rural network, ask:
- • Was your road on the council's resilient network receiving priority treatment?
- • If 20% of U-roads were RED at the last survey, what was done about yours specifically?
- • Did safety inspections under the Highways Maintenance Plan catch the defect before it damaged your vehicle?
- • Can the council point to 2024/25 investment on your road — or only aggregate spend figures?
On a county where care workers, NHS staff and rural businesses depend on minor roads with few alternatives, a generic “we're investing £50m” defence is not enough without proof the specific defect was managed.
106,650 Potholes in Four Years
Reactive repair at scale — and the council's own admission that prevention has proved difficult
| Year | Potholes filled | Preventative spend | Reactive spend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 27,005 | 2.4% | 17.9% |
| 2022/23 | 25,455 | 2.2% | 23.7% |
| 2023/24 | 31,963 | 1.9% | 21.4% |
| 2024/25 | 22,227 | 12.1% | 17.3% |
| 2025/26* | 3,994 | 15.7% | 13.8% |
| Four-year total (2021/22–2024/25) | 106,650 | — | |
*2025/26 pothole data is year-to-date to end of May 2025. The council estimates in excess of 25,000 pothole repairs in the full 2025/26 year. Spend percentages from Annex A; pothole counts from the safety inspection repair process.
~73 Potholes a Day, Every Day
Averaged over four complete years, Herefordshire fills around 73 potholes per day across its 3,338km network. The council states around 80% of reactive investment goes on carriageway repairs, with the majority being pothole repairs. A network producing defects at that rate is one where potholes routinely form between inspections.
The Prevention Pivot — Not Yet Visible
Preventative spend jumped from 1.9% in 2023/24 to 12.1% in 2024/25 and is projected at 15.7% in 2025/26 — part of the council's move away from a reactive regime. But the council itself notes this balance “has proved difficult,” and condition data still shows B/C roads worsening through 2024. Investment intent and survey outcomes are not yet aligned.
The Time Lag Admission
The council's own explanation for why published condition data lags behind its investment
“However, while the report outlines the scale of the maintenance and improvement activity, it does not reflect the full benefit and impact of the council's additional investment over the past two years due to a time lag in national road condition surveys.”
— Herefordshire Council press release, 30 June 2025
“When considering the reactive works required across the county around 80% of the investment is in carriageway repairs, with the majority being the repair of potholes.”
— Herefordshire Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report — Annex A (June 2025)
“The survey frequency for each of the classifications can lead to a delay in the realisation of investment from programmes. In some cases, a survey may be done prior to a scheme being delivered in that year, the result being that the new material will be surveyed in part during the next survey and a further cycle being required to capture the full benefit of the works.”
— Herefordshire Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report — Annex A (June 2025)
What This Admission Means
Herefordshire publicly acknowledges that its transparency report cannot yet demonstrate the impact of significant additional investment since July 2024 — including £50.87m planned for 2025/26 with c75km of resurfacing and c100km of surface dressing.
That honesty helps residents understand the programme — but it also limits what the council can prove in a claim defence about network condition at the time of your incident.
Questions Worth Asking
- • Had your road received any 2024/25 resurfacing or surface dressing before your incident?
- • Is your road on the published summer 2025 resurfacing programme?
- • If condition surveys lag investment, did safety inspections still catch the defect?
- • Did drainage improvements — 100+ schemes planned — address water pooling at your location?
Claiming Against a Well-Funded AMBER Council
Honest assessment: Herefordshire is investing heavily — here's how that shapes your approach
What Works In The Council's Favour
- ✓ GREEN spend scorecard — nearly double DfT allocation in 2025/26
- ✓ Documented asset management strategy and Highways Maintenance Plan
- ✓ Road AI surveys on U-roads — 50% of network annually
- ✓ Preventative spend rising — 15.7% projected in 2025/26
- ✓ c75km resurfacing and c100km surface dressing planned
Expect a well-documented Section 58 defence on recently treated A-roads. Generic claims will struggle.
What Works In Yours
- ✗ AMBER condition — B/C RED doubled to 13%, green roads down to 51%
- ✗ 20% of 1,566km U-roads in RED at 2024 survey — ~313km of rural lanes
- ✗ 106,650 potholes filled in four years — defects form faster than prevention eliminates them
- ✗ Council admits condition data does not yet show 2024/25 investment benefit
- ✗ Highway structures in poor/very poor condition up from 14.92% to 26.4%
- ✗ AMBER Best Practice — TAMP under review, asset plan nearing end of life
The Winning Strategy Here Is Specificity
Against a council with GREEN spend and a £50m programme, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (FixMyStreet, council online reports) — proof of actual notice
- • Photos showing the defect's size, depth and visible age (weathered edges, previous patching)
- • The road's class — B/C decline and U-road RED percentages are your structural arguments
- • Whether the road appeared on the 2025 resurfacing or surface dressing programme before your incident
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Herefordshire's own transparency data where it helps you.
Report the pothole to Herefordshire first
Herefordshire's Highways Maintenance Plan sets out how safety inspections identify and categorise defects for repair. Reporting the defect through the council creates a dated record — useful evidence if the pothole was reported before your incident, or if the council failed to repair it within a reasonable time.
Report a pothole to Herefordshire CouncilUse the council's online reporting service or the pothole progress map. Keep your reference number and any confirmation emails.
Hit a Pothole in Herefordshire?
A well-funded rural council demands a well-built claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No B/C RED doubling cited
- • No time-lag survey argument
- • No prior-report search
Professional claim pack
- ✅ B/C RED doubling to 13% documented
- ✅ 1,566km U-road network and 20% RED cited
- ✅ 106,650 pothole repairs in four years referenced
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Herefordshire
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Herefordshire earns a GREEN Spend scorecard — can I still claim?
Yes. The DfT Spend rating is GREEN because Herefordshire is projecting £50.87m total highway expenditure in 2025/26 against £26.859m DfT grant funding — nearly double. But your claim turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired under Section 58, not on aggregate spend. Condition is AMBER overall, with B and C roads in RED condition doubling from 6–8% to 13% by 2024.
What if my pothole was on an unclassified or C road?
Unclassified roads make up 1,566km — 47% of Herefordshire's 3,338km network — and 20% were in RED condition at the 2024 survey. C roads are surveyed on a three-year cycle, while U-roads use Vaisala Road AI on a two-year cycle. On a network the council describes as more than 80% rural, defects on minor roads are common — and prior reports plus photos showing defect age matter more than headline A-road scores.
Does the council's £50m investment mean my claim will fail?
Not automatically. Herefordshire's own June 2025 press release states the transparency report “does not reflect the full benefit and impact of the council's additional investment over the past two years due to a time lag in national road condition surveys.” The published condition tables carry the same caveat. A council cannot rely on investment not yet visible in its own survey data to defeat a claim about a specific defect it failed to repair in time.
Pothole repairs fell to 22,227 in 2024/25 — does that mean the roads are fixed?
No. Herefordshire still filled 22,227 potholes in 2024/25 — about 61 every day — after a peak of 31,963 in 2023/24. The council estimates it will repair in excess of 25,000 potholes in 2025/26 while pursuing a preventative strategy. Around 80% of reactive investment goes on carriageway repairs, with the majority being pothole repairs.
Does the time lag in condition surveys help my claim?
It can. Every condition table in Herefordshire's Annex A carries a footnote: “Does not show the benefit of Council highway investment from 2024/25 onwards.” The council also acknowledges that survey timing can delay the capture of newly resurfaced sections. If the council points to recent investment, your claim should ask whether that investment reached your specific road before your incident.
Should I report the pothole to Herefordshire before claiming?
Reporting creates a dated council record that can prove actual notice if the defect was reported before your incident. Herefordshire's Highways Maintenance Plan sets out how safety inspections identify and categorise defects for repair. A prior report through the council's online highways service or FixMyStreet — combined with photos showing the defect's size, depth and visible age — is often stronger evidence than network-level condition percentages alone.
Why is Best Practice AMBER if Herefordshire uses AI road surveys?
Herefordshire has adopted Vaisala Road AI for unclassified roads and Gaist video surveys for footways — genuine innovation. But the DfT Best Practice scorecard is AMBER, and the council notes its Transport Asset Management Plan is “drawing to the end of its life” with policy under review. For your claim, the gap between modern survey tools and still-worsening B/C condition data is the point: knowing network condition in aggregate does not prove the specific pothole was repaired in reasonable time.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Herefordshire Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report — Annex A and Annex B (June 2025). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.