Medway: A Third of Residential Roads in RED Condition
Medway Council's own transparency data shows 31% of unclassified roads in RED condition in 2024 — up from 20% in 2020 — across 629km surveyed only once every four years. The DfT rates overall performance AMBER but flags RED on best practice, and the council admits its current investment strategy is insufficient to improve residential roads.
What The Condition Data Shows
Five years of survey data from Medway's own transparency report — classified roads broadly stable, unclassified roads deteriorating
Network size (845km total)
Three-quarters of Medway's carriageway network is unclassified residential and local roads. The council also maintains 1,045.36km of footways, 130.36km of cycleways, 406 structures, 35,535 gullies and more than 27,000 streetlights.
A-roads (100.47km): broadly stable after 2022 spike
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.4% | 12.9% | 85.7% |
| 2021 | 2.3% | 13.8% | 83.9% |
| 2022 | 5.0% | 20.9% | 74.2% |
| 2023 | 2.3% | 14.6% | 83.1% |
| 2024 | 2.2% | 14.6% | 83.2% |
A-roads recovered after a 2022 deterioration spike (RED up to 5.0%, green down to 74.2%). Classified roads are SCANNER-surveyed annually — but A-roads are just 12% of the network.
B and C roads (115.16km): RED reported at 6% in 2024
| Year | Red B and C reported | B-road RED | C-road RED |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4% | 3.0% | 4.5% |
| 2021 | 5% | 5.4% | 4.7% |
| 2022 | 8% | 9.8% | 7.7% |
| 2023 | 6% | 5.0% | 5.7% |
| 2024 | 6% | 4.4% | 6.5% |
Combined B/C RED reporting doubled from 4% to 8% between 2020 and 2022, then settled at 6%. C-roads in RED condition reached 6.5% in 2024 — the highest individual class figure that year.
AMBER Spend — Matching Allocation, Not Exceeding It
Unlike authorities that invest well beyond their DfT allocation, Medway's projected 2025/26 capital spend matches its allocation exactly — with 40% reactive maintenance and just ~4.96km of resurfacing planned across an 845km network.
The 629km Four-Year Blind Spot
74% of Medway's network is unclassified roads — coarse visual inspection on a four-year rotation
| Year | U-roads in RED condition |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 20% |
| 2021 | 19% |
| 2022 | 34%* (unusable — post-winter survey) |
| 2023 | 22% |
| 2024 | 31% |
The Four-Year Rotation
Medway divides its unclassified network into four areas for coarse visual inspection, with each area surveyed once every four years on a rotational basis. There is currently no nationally recognised standard for monitoring U-road condition.
At 31% RED in 2024, roughly 195km of residential streets were in the worst condition category at the last survey — on a network where any given area may not be condition-assessed again for three more years.
*The 2022 Asterisk
Medway states the 2022 condition survey was undertaken following the winter period at an unsuitable time of year. The data was incomparable and unusable — it did not accurately reflect the true condition of the network.
The jump from 19% to 34% and back to 22% is a survey-timing artefact, not evidence of rapid recovery. The council says so in its own footnotes.
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 Medway's unclassified network, ask:
- • When was your area last condition-surveyed — and when is the next rotation due?
- • If 31% of U-roads were RED at the last survey, what was done about yours?
- • How does coarse visual inspection every four years track deterioration between surveys?
- • Can the council claim detailed network knowledge without a nationally recognised U-road standard?
A council cannot claim comprehensive condition knowledge of a network it inspects on a four-year rotation using coarse visual methods — while admitting its strategy is insufficient to improve it.
44,689 Pothole Repairs in Four Years
Published repair counts from Medway's transparency report — methodology changed in 2024/25
| Year | Potholes repaired |
|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 9,024 |
| 2022/23 | 12,040 |
| 2023/24 | 16,373 |
| 2024/25 | 7,252 |
| 2025/26 (to date) | 957 |
| Four-year total (2021/22–2024/25) | 44,689 |
The Methodology Change
Medway discontinued cold lay (Viafix) as a permanent repair in 2024/25, shifting to larger patching works and right-first-time repairs. The drop from 16,373 to 7,252 reflects a different repair approach — not proof that defects stopped forming on a network where 31% of U-roads remain in RED condition.
Below The Safety Threshold
Medway uses additional funding to address clusters of defects that do not yet meet its safety intervention threshold or resurfacing criteria, but visually make the network look in worse condition than it structurally is. Defects below threshold can still damage vehicles — and prior reports prove the council knew about them.
The Council's Own Admission
Medway publicly acknowledges its strategy is not keeping pace — in its own words
“The data above would suggest that even with the current strategy of investing more of the resurfacing budget on unclassified roads, it's insufficient to continue improving the condition of unclassified roads and keep the classified roads to a standard which meets or exceeds the national averages.”
— Medway Council Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025/26
“Some worsening of the overall condition on the classified roads would be expected to achieve the required improvement on unclassified roads, we'll keep this under review and try and maintain a balance that enables all road classes to improve over time. To achieve this continual progress and move from a steady state to improvement, funding levels would need to meet those set out in our Lifecycle Plan to be able to satisfactorily maintain and improve the network.”
— Medway Council Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025/26
What This Admission Means
Medway formally acknowledges that current investment is insufficient to improve U-roads while maintaining classified roads to national averages. That is documented knowledge of a funding gap — not a neutral maintenance programme operating at steady state.
The council also expects some classified-road deterioration as a trade-off for U-road improvement — relevant context when arguing about inspection adequacy on your specific route.
Resurfacing Scale
For 2025/26, Medway had completed 11 of 16 carriageway resurfacing schemes totalling 2.02km, with an expected final length of approximately 3.39km once all 16 are completed. Additional incentive funding is expected to resurface approximately 1.57km more.
That is roughly 4.96km of resurfacing across an 845km network — less than 0.6% of total carriageway length in a single year.
Why Best Practice Is RED
What Medway's own report reveals about asset management and data gaps
“Currently, there is no nationally recognised standard for monitoring the condition of the unclassified network. However, our suppliers conduct coarse visual inspections across these routes. Medway is divided into 4 areas for this process, with each area being surveyed once every 4 years on a rotational basis.”
— Medway Council Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025/26
“The condition survey undertaken in 2022 was carried out during an unsuitable time of year, specifically following the winter period. As a result, the data collected was incomparable and unusable, as it did not accurately reflect the true condition of the road network at that time.”
— Medway Council Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025/26
Four-Year U-Road Cycle
Coarse visual inspection on a four-year rotation across 629km — with no nationally recognised monitoring standard. Asset condition data on three-quarters of the network is inherently stale.
Unusable 2022 Data
The council disclaims its own 2022 U-road survey as incomparable and unusable. A gap in reliable condition records weakens any blanket Section 58 defence tied to network knowledge.
AI Still Being Validated
Medway has implemented AI technology for highway safety inspections but is still comparing AI-derived condition data with its current supplier to assess alignment and accuracy — the enhanced frequency promised depends on that validation completing.
Triple AMBER, Best Practice RED
Medway is not under-funded like some RED-spend authorities — but the DfT's RED best-practice flag signals weaknesses in how the council measures, records and manages its network. That matters when the council argues it could not reasonably have known about your defect.
Claiming Against Medway's RED Best-Practice Scorecard
Honest assessment: triple AMBER is not Derbyshire — but RED best practice opens specific angles
What Works In The Council's Favour
- ✓ AMBER spend — capital spend matches DfT allocation in 2025/26
- ✓ A-roads broadly stable at 2.2% RED in 2024 after annual SCANNER surveys
- ✓ 60% preventative maintenance projected for 2025/26
- ✓ Well Managed Highway Infrastructure code adopted — risk-based approach documented
- ✓ Discontinued cold-lay Viafix — shifting to permanent patching
Expect a structured Section 58 defence on A-roads with recent SCANNER data. Generic claims will struggle.
What Works In Yours
- ✗ RED best practice — four-year U-road surveys, unusable 2022 data, AI unvalidated
- ✗ 31% of U-roads in RED condition in 2024 — up from 20% in 2020
- ✗ 629km surveyed on a four-year coarse visual rotation — no national U-road standard
- ✗ Council admits current strategy insufficient to improve U-roads
- ✗ Defect clusters below safety threshold acknowledged but not automatically repaired
- ✗ 44,689 pothole repairs in four years — defects still forming between inspections
The Winning Strategy Here Is Specificity
Against a council with documented asset-management processes, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (Medway's online form, 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, the four-year survey gap and 31% RED rate are your strongest structural arguments
- • Whether the defect met Medway's safety threshold — and if reported, why it was left unrepaired
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Medway's own transparency data where it helps you.
Report the pothole to Medway first
Medway's own guidance states that if you have experienced injury or damage because of a pothole, you can make a claim — but you must report the pothole to the council first. Reporting creates a dated record useful if the defect was known before your incident, or if the council failed to repair it within a reasonable time.
Report a pothole to Medway CouncilUse the online form with location, photos and contact details. Keep your reference number and any confirmation emails.
Hit a Pothole in Medway?
A RED best-practice scorecard demands a precise claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No four-year U-road survey gap cited
- • No 31% RED condition data referenced
- • No prior-report search
Professional claim pack
- ✅ 31% U-road RED condition documented
- ✅ Four-year coarse visual survey gap argued
- ✅ RED best-practice scorecard and council admission cited
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Medway
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Medway has a RED best-practice scorecard — can I still claim?
Yes. The DfT Best Practice rating is RED, and Medway's overall rating is AMBER — but your claim still turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired under Section 58, not on scorecard colours alone. Medway's own transparency report shows 31% of U-roads in RED condition in 2024, coarse visual inspections on a four-year rotation across 629km of residential roads, and the council admitting its current strategy is insufficient to improve unclassified roads.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
U-roads make up 629.37km — 74% of Medway's 845km network. The council conducts coarse visual inspections divided into four areas, with each area surveyed once every four years on a rotational basis. There is no nationally recognised standard for U-road condition monitoring. At the last comparable surveys, 19–31% of U-roads were in RED condition — roughly 120–195km of estate streets, closes and local routes.
Pothole repairs fell from 16,373 to 7,252 — does that mean the roads are fixed?
No. Medway changed its repair methodology in 2024/25, discontinuing cold lay (Viafix) as a permanent repair and shifting to larger patching works. The lower published repair count reflects a different counting approach, not elimination of defects. The council still acknowledges clusters of defects below its safety intervention threshold that visually make the network look in worse condition than it structurally is.
Why is the 2022 U-road figure of 34% unreliable?
Medway's own report states the 2022 condition survey was carried out during an unsuitable time of year, specifically following the winter period. As a result, the data collected was incomparable and unusable, as it did not accurately reflect the true condition of the road network at that time. Do not treat the 34% spike as evidence of sudden recovery or deterioration.
Medway says some defects do not meet its safety threshold — does that help my claim?
It can. Medway uses additional highways funding to address clusters of defects that do not yet meet its safety intervention threshold or resurfacing criteria, but visually make the network look in worse condition than it structurally is. If the pothole that damaged your vehicle was visible, reportable and left unrepaired, the council's own admission that sub-threshold clusters persist is relevant context — especially combined with prior reports and photographic evidence.
Do I have to report the pothole to Medway before claiming?
Medway's own report-a-pothole guidance states that if you have experienced injury or damage because of a pothole, you can make a claim to Medway Council for personal injury or damage — but you must do this once you have reported the pothole to the council. Reporting creates a dated record that strengthens your case if the defect was known before your incident or left unrepaired within a reasonable time.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Medway Council Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (2025/26). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.