Kingston: Good-Condition Roads Fell from 97% to 72% in Four Years
The Royal Borough earns GREEN for spend — projecting £1.75m in council capital works against a £543,000 DfT allocation. Yet the DfT awards RED for condition and best practice, flags incomplete road condition data, and the council's own survey table shows green-condition roads collapsing from 96.61% in 2021 to 71.89% in 2024 — while pothole fills jumped to 4,793 in a single year.
DfT data caveat
The Department for Transport notes that Kingston upon Thames's overall, condition and best-practice scorecards are based on incomplete road condition data, which has affected these ratings. The council publishes borough-wide segment percentages but not a class-by-class A, B/C and U-road breakdown in its transparency report. Treat headline scorecards as indicative — your claim turns on the specific defect, prior reports and repair records.
What The Condition Data Shows
Five years of surveyed road-segment data from Kingston's own transparency report — a steady slide from near-universal green to nearly one in four roads amber
| Year | Roads surveyed | Green | Amber | Red |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 566 | 95.94% | 3.89% | 0.18% |
| 2021 | 766 | 96.61% | 3.26% | 0.13% |
| 2022 | 774 | 84.63% | 13.82% | 1.55% |
| 2023 | 937 | 84.10% | 13.87% | 2.03% |
| 2024 | 925 | 71.89% | 24.22% | 3.89% |
How Kingston defines the categories
- • Green: no further investigation or treatment required (above 67%)
- • Amber: maintenance may be required soon (between 34% and 67%)
- • Red: should be considered for maintenance (below 33%)
By 2024, nearly a quarter of surveyed segments sit in amber — maintenance may be required soon — and 3.89% are formally in red. That is a very different network picture from 2021, when 96.61% of segments needed no further treatment.
Survey coverage is rising — condition is not
Kingston states it started using RoadAI in 2020, when pandemic restrictions disrupted work, and survey coverage has since grown to over 85% of the borough's public highway boundary. Roads surveyed rose from 566 segments in 2020 to 925 in 2024. Yet green-condition share fell sharply over the same period — more measurement, worse results.
The DfT's RED condition rating and incomplete-data flag sit against this backdrop: a council that can see more of its network but publishes a deteriorating condition trend.
The 271km Residential Network
Nearly four-fifths of Kingston's carriageways are unclassified — where most pothole damage happens
| Road type | Length (km) | Share of network |
|---|---|---|
| A roads | 41.09 | 12.0% |
| B and C roads | 29.11 | 8.5% |
| U roads | 271.32 | 79.4% |
| Total roads | 341.52 | 100% |
SCANNER on classified, RoadAI on local
Kingston states that condition assessments on the local classified road network use SCANNER laser-based technology, while unclassified roads are assessed with RoadAI by Vaisala — a third-party tool that supports officer visual assessments and helps compile annual maintenance programmes.
The published condition table does not split green, amber and red percentages by road class. If your pothole was on a residential street, you cannot read your road's RAG status directly from the transparency report — only infer borough-wide deterioration.
Resurfacing vs network size
In the most recent financial year, Kingston's planned maintenance section resurfaced approximately 6.25km of roads and reconstructed around 2km of footways — on a 341.52km carriageway network with 373.6km of footways.
That is roughly 1.8% of the carriageway network treated in a single year. The remaining 98%+ relies on reactive patching, RoadAI surveys and routine safety inspections to catch defects before they damage vehicles.
Why this matters for Section 58
To rely on the Section 58 defence, Kingston must show it had a reasonable system for knowing the condition of the road that damaged your vehicle. On a borough that is 79% U-roads, ask:
- • Was your road in the 85%+ of the network RoadAI covers — or the remainder without a published score?
- • If borough-wide green share fell from 96.61% to 71.89%, what was done about your street?
- • Were there prior reports (FixMyStreet, council online reports) before your incident?
- • Does a patch on a 271km U-road network amount to reasonable maintenance — or reactive firefighting?
Aggregate condition percentages on a residential-heavy borough say little about your specific defect without dated reports and photographs.
10,738 Potholes in Five Years — 4,793 in One
Kingston's own estimated pothole-fill counts — and the 2024 spike that stands out
| Year | Estimated potholes filled |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1,898 |
| 2021 | 1,627 |
| 2022 | 1,127 |
| 2023 | 1,293 |
| 2024 | 4,793 |
| 2025 | 1,861 |
| 2020–2024 total | 10,738 |
~13 potholes a day in 2024
The 4,793 potholes filled in 2024 average roughly 13 repairs every day across Kingston's 341.52km network. A network producing defects at that rate is one where potholes routinely form between inspections — exactly the scenario where prior reports and photographic evidence decide claims.
Reactive spend is rising
Kingston classifies reactive maintenance — including immediate repairs in line with Section 41 and Section 58 statutory undertakings — at 41.4% of total spend in 2024/25, up from 23.8% in 2020/21. Preventative share fell from 76.2% to 58.6% over the same period. More patching, less prevention — on a network whose surveyed condition is deteriorating.
GREEN Spend, Shifting Priorities
Kingston invests well beyond its DfT capital allocation — but reactive maintenance is taking a larger share
| Financial year | DfT capital | Council capital | Revenue spend | Preventative | Reactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (proj.) | £543,000 | £1,750,000 | £1,173,600 | 66.1% | 33.9% |
| 2024/25 | £167,000 | £1,750,000 | £1,356,601 | 58.6% | 41.4% |
| 2023/24 | £167,000 | £1,750,000 | £1,152,553 | 62.5% | 37.5% |
| 2022/23 | £0 | £1,750,000 | £1,179,481 | 59.7% | 40.3% |
| 2021/22 | £0 | £1,500,000 | £961,206 | 60.9% | 39.1% |
| 2020/21 | £0 | £2,000,000 | £626,222 | 76.2% | 23.8% |
Well funded — but patching more
Kingston spends over three times its DfT allocation from council capital alone — yet reactive maintenance has nearly doubled as a share of total spend since 2020/21, and pothole fills hit a record 4,793 in 2024. The problem is not only the chequebook.
Elastomac, PAS 2161 and the RED Best Practice Rating
What Kingston says about reactive innovation — and the methodology change ahead
“With the large number of unclassified roads we have within our public highway boundary, we use a package called RoadAI by a company called Vaisala. This is used to support officer visual assessments of the condition of a road. It provides a third party independent score which we use to help compile our annual maintenance programmes.”
— Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
“From this year a new methodology will be used based on the BSI PAS2161 standard. Local highway authorities will be required to use a supplier that has been accredited against PAS2161. This new standard will place roads into 5 categories instead of 3 to help government gain a more detailed understanding of road conditions in England.”
— Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
Elastomac rollout
Kingston is using Elastomac across the borough following a successful trial in 2024 — a surface dressing effective for joints, alligator cracking and general wear. The council states roads can reopen 30 minutes after application, reducing traffic disruption.
As of June 2025, the council had resurfaced 5,285 square metres using Elastomac. That is a targeted reactive tool — not a borough-wide resurfacing programme on 341.52km of roads.
Why Best Practice is RED
The DfT Best Practice scorecard is RED alongside the incomplete condition-data flag. Kingston publishes aggregate segment condition percentages but not the class-by-class breakdown the DfT framework expects, and is transitioning from three RAG categories to PAS 2161's five-tier system.
That weakens the asset-management evidence Kingston can produce for a blanket Section 58 defence — even where individual repair processes are documented.
“Using the nationally recognised DfT street works system, we identify issues such Section 58s while coordinating work activities among statutory undertakers and highways teams.”
— Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
Claiming Against a GREEN-Spend, RED-Condition Borough
Honest assessment: Kingston invests — but its own data shows deterioration and incomplete reporting
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ GREEN spend scorecard — council capital spend roughly triples the DfT allocation
- ✓ RoadAI surveys now cover over 85% of the borough's highway boundary
- ✓ Elastomac and planned maintenance programme with published 2025/26 schedule
- ✓ Documented streetworks coordination and Section 58 notice processes
- ✓ 66.1% preventative share projected for 2025/26
Expect a spend-backed Section 58 defence on main roads. Generic claims will struggle without defect-specific evidence.
What works in yours
- ✗ RED condition scorecard — DfT flags incomplete road condition data
- ✗ Green-condition roads fell from 96.61% to 71.89% in four years
- ✗ 79.4% of network is U-roads without published class-level RAG breakdown
- ✗ 4,793 pothole fills in 2024 — record reactive volume on a deteriorating network
- ✗ Reactive maintenance share rose from 23.8% to 41.4% since 2020/21
- ✗ RED best practice — gaps in the condition evidence the DfT expects
The winning strategy here is specificity
Against a council with GREEN spend and expanding RoadAI coverage, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (FixMyStreet, Kingston's online reporting service) — 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 271.32km network and missing class-level condition breakdown
- • Whether the 2024 pothole spike and condition decline predate your incident
- • Whether a patch or Elastomac treatment failed — relevant to recurring defects
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Kingston's own transparency data where it helps you.
Report the pothole to Kingston first
Kingston's transparency report covers reactive maintenance undertaken in line with Section 41 and Section 58 statutory undertakings. 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 Kingston CouncilUse the council's interactive map or online form. Keep your reference number and any confirmation emails.
Hit a Pothole in Kingston upon Thames?
A well-funded borough with RED condition data demands a precise claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No incomplete-data caveat cited
- • No 4,793 repair spike referenced
- • No prior-report search
Professional claim pack
- ✅ Condition decline from 96.61% to 71.89% documented
- ✅ 271km U-road network and survey-gap argued
- ✅ 4,793 pothole fills in 2024 cited
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Kingston
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently asked questions
Kingston spends well over triple its DfT allocation — can I still claim?
Yes. The DfT Spend scorecard is GREEN because Kingston projects £1.75m of council-allocated capital spend against a £543,000 DfT allocation in 2025/26. But the Condition scorecard is RED — and the DfT notes Kingston's ratings are based on incomplete road condition data. Section 58 turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired, not on aggregate spend.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
U-roads make up 271.32km — 79.4% of Kingston's 341.52km carriageway network. The council uses RoadAI by Vaisala to support officer visual assessments on unclassified roads rather than SCANNER laser surveys. Condition data is published as borough-wide segment percentages, not broken down by road class — so establishing what the council knew about your specific residential street requires prior reports, photos and repair records.
Why does the DfT rate Kingston RED on condition when the council publishes survey data?
The DfT flags Kingston's overall, condition and best-practice scorecards as based on incomplete road condition data. The council's transparency report publishes aggregate condition percentages across surveyed road segments — green roads fell from 96.61% in 2021 to 71.89% in 2024 — but does not split results by A, B/C and U-road class in the same table. Best Practice is also RED, consistent with gaps in the asset-management evidence the DfT expects.
Kingston filled 4,793 potholes in 2024 — does that mean the roads are fixed?
No. The 4,793 figure is nearly four times the 1,293 potholes filled in 2023 and more than double any other year in the published table. Reactive maintenance accounted for 41.4% of total maintenance spend in 2024/25, up from 23.8% in 2020/21. A spike in pothole repairs is evidence of defect formation, not elimination — especially where prior reports or photos show your specific pothole predated any repair.
Does Kingston's RoadAI survey coverage help the council under Section 58?
It helps only if the council can show your road was surveyed, the defect was visible, and it was repaired within reasonable timescales. Kingston states RoadAI now covers over 85% of the borough's public highway boundary, but the council also notes it started using the tool in 2020 when pandemic restrictions disrupted work — and a new PAS 2161 methodology is replacing the three-category green/amber/red system. Your claim should focus on the specific defect and any prior reports, not borough-wide survey coverage alone.
Should I report the pothole to Kingston before claiming?
Reporting creates a dated council record that can prove actual notice if the defect was reported before your incident. Kingston's transparency report covers reactive maintenance undertaken in line with Section 41 and Section 58 statutory duties. A prior report through the council's online pothole service or FixMyStreet — combined with photos showing the defect's age — is often stronger evidence than network-level condition percentages alone.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.