Plymouth: more than a third of residential roads in red condition
Plymouth City Council's own Gaist surveys found 36.64% of unclassified roads in RED condition — roughly 228km of residential streets on a network where U-roads make up 70% of all carriageways. The DfT rates overall maintenance AMBER, spend GREEN, and best practice AMBER. Meanwhile carriageway resurfacing collapsed from 6.03 miles to 1.17 miles in 2023/24 while pothole fills hit a five-year high of 3,218.
What the condition data shows
Five years of SCANNER survey data from Plymouth's own transparency report — classified roads slipping while A-roads hold steady
A-roads (54km — 6% of network): broadly stable
A-roads are surveyed 100% each year using SCANNER. Condition has drifted slightly worse since 2022, with green roads falling nearly four percentage points. Plymouth notes it changed SCANNER supplier for 2025/26, which may have affected results.
B and C roads (206km — 23% of network): amber rising
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2.6% | 22.5% | 74.9% |
| 2021 | 3.9% | 23.1% | 72.9% |
| 2022 | 3.7% | 21.0% | 75.2% |
| 2023 | 3.0% | 20.0% | 77.0% |
| 2024 | 3.5% | 24.4% | 72.1% |
Amber B/C roads jumped from 20.0% to 24.4% in a single year, and green roads fell from 77.0% to 72.1%. Over a quarter of Plymouth's B and C network now needs — or will soon need — maintenance. B roads are surveyed 100% annually; C roads at 50%, with coverage under review.
GREEN spend, AMBER condition
Plymouth projects spending more than three times its DfT capital allocation in 2025/26 — yet road condition remains AMBER. The DfT Spend scorecard is GREEN; the question for your claim is whether that investment reached the specific road where you were damaged.
The 622km blind spot
70% of Plymouth's network is unclassified roads — condition-surveyed only every three years
| Year | U-roads in RED condition |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 36.64% |
| 2021 | Not a survey year |
| 2022 | 34.83% |
| 2023 | Not a survey year |
| 2024 | Not a survey year |
The three-year gap
Plymouth uses Gaist to visually analyse the unclassified network and aims to survey the whole U-road network every three years. That means for incidents in 2021, 2023 or 2024, there is no network-level condition data for the road type where most Plymouth pothole claims actually happen.
At the last two comparable surveys, roughly one in three U-roads was in RED condition — approximately 216–228km of residential streets, estate roads and local routes across the city.
Different ruler, different standard
Plymouth's own report notes that Gaist survey methods “do not conform to the same standards as applied to SCANNER” and results are an interpretation to mirror SCANNER output. U-road RED percentages cannot be directly compared with classified-road SCANNER categories.
The council plans a further U-road condition survey in 2025/26. Until then, the most recent published figure remains 34.83% RED from 2022 — three years ago.
“We currently use a company called Gaist to undertake condition surveys on the unclassified network. They employ a method of visually analysing the network to establish a condition grade. We aim to undertake this survey of the whole unclassified network (excluding service lanes) every 3 years.”
— Plymouth City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
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 Plymouth's unclassified network, ask:
- • When was your road last condition-surveyed — and was it one of the gap years?
- • If a third of U-roads were RED at the last survey, what was done about yours?
- • How does the council track deterioration on a road it surveys only every three years?
- • Does the Gaist visual method meet the same standard as SCANNER on classified roads?
A council cannot claim detailed knowledge of a network it measures once every three years — on a methodology it admits differs from the SCANNER standard used elsewhere.
Resurfacing collapsed while pothole fills peaked
Preventative carriageway work and reactive pothole repairs moving in opposite directions
Carriageway resurfacing (miles)
| Year | Miles resurfaced |
|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 6.03 |
| 2021/22 | 4.83 |
| 2022/23 | 4.45 |
| 2023/24 | 1.17 |
| 2024/25 | 1.80 |
An 80% drop from 2020/21 to 2023/24. On an 882km network, 1.17 miles of resurfacing treats roughly 0.2% of the carriageway in a year.
Potholes filled (estimated)
| Year | Potholes filled |
|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 2,994 |
| 2021/22 | 2,300 |
| 2022/23 | 2,186 |
| 2023/24 | 3,218 |
| 2024/25 | 2,414 |
13,112 potholes filled over five years — about seven every day. Plymouth expects ~2,600 fills in 2025/26 based on the five-year average.
The counting caveat
Plymouth states it is “unable to individually identify numbers of potholes due to the way these works are recorded” — figures are based on carriageway works orders completed. The true number of individual potholes treated may differ from the published totals.
Reactive pothole spend share
Pothole repairs consumed 11–22% of reactive maintenance spend across the five years — peaking at 22% in 2020/21 and 21% in 2023/24, the same year resurfacing hit its low. The council classifies spray injection and traditional patching as preventative when treating emerging defects below investigatory criteria.
“As a means to undertake preventative repairs to emerging defects we have introduced spray injection and traditional patching to identify and repair defects which would otherwise not meet our defect investigatory criteria. This is aimed at reducing the number of emerging defects before they require a reactive intervention.”
— Plymouth City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
Plymouth's repair threshold and temporary fixes
What the council says about when it will — and will not — repair a pothole
“We'll repair a pothole that's at least 40mm deep and over 300mm wide. The location of the pothole and the type of road help us decide when it will be repaired.”
— Plymouth City Council — Report a pothole (plymouth.gov.uk/potholes)
“Sometimes our road maintenance contractor will need to carry out a temporary fix until permanent repairs can be arranged. This is often because road closures or other traffic management will be required and also because resources need to be allocated for repairs across the city.”
— Plymouth City Council — Report a pothole (plymouth.gov.uk/potholes)
What the 40mm threshold means for claims
Plymouth's investigatory criteria — 40mm deep and 300mm wide — define when the council will schedule a repair, not when it accepts liability for damage. A defect that caused your tyre or suspension damage may not yet have met the repair threshold when you hit it.
Prior reports of the same location — even for smaller defects — create a dated record of actual notice. Plymouth's claims page explicitly asks whether you reported the defect before claiming.
Temporary repairs as evidence
Plymouth acknowledges temporary fixes are routine — often because permanent repairs need road closures or resource allocation across the city. Weathered edges around a patch, or a sequence of temporary fills at the same location, can indicate a structural surface failure the council knew about but had not permanently resolved.
The council states its goal is for “the first repair being a permanent repair” — yet publicly describes temporary fixes as a normal part of its process.
Claiming against an AMBER-rated council with GREEN spend
Honest assessment: Plymouth invests heavily — here is how that changes your approach
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ GREEN spend scorecard — projected capital spend more than triples DfT allocation
- ✓ 80% preventative share projected for 2025/26
- ✓ Documented asset management strategy aligned to Well Managed Highways Infrastructure
- ✓ Active member of LCRIG, LGTAG and South West Highways Alliance
- ✓ Risk-based inspection regime with published Highways Inspection Manual
Expect a documented Section 58 defence on well-maintained A-roads. Generic claims will struggle.
What works in yours
- ✗ AMBER condition — 36.64% of U-roads in RED at last full survey
- ✗ 70% of network surveyed only every three years on non-SCANNER methodology
- ✗ B/C amber roads up from 20.0% to 24.4% in 2024
- ✗ Resurfacing fell 80% to 1.17 miles in 2023/24 while pothole fills peaked
- ✗ AMBER best practice scorecard from DfT
- ✗ Council admits temporary pothole repairs are routine
The winning strategy here is specificity
Against a council with GREEN spend but AMBER condition, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (FixMyStreet, Plymouth's online reporting) — 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 three-year survey gap is your strongest structural argument
- • Evidence of temporary repairs at the same location — council-admitted practice
- • Whether the defect was below Plymouth's 40mm investigatory threshold when you reported it
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Plymouth's own transparency data where it helps you.
Report the pothole to Plymouth first
Plymouth's claims guidance states you should have reported the defect before submitting a claim. Reporting 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. Plymouth repairs potholes at least 40mm deep and over 300mm wide; keep your reference number regardless of size.
Report a pothole to Plymouth City CouncilIf the pothole is on the A38 Parkway, report it to National Highways instead. Keep your reference number and any confirmation emails.
Hit a pothole in Plymouth?
A well-funded AMBER council demands a well-built claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No three-year U-road survey gap argument
- • No 36.64% RED U-road data cited
- • No prior-report search
Professional claim pack
- ✅ 36.64% U-road RED condition documented
- ✅ Three-year survey gap and Gaist methodology argued
- ✅ Resurfacing collapse and 3,218 pothole peak cited
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Plymouth
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently asked questions
Plymouth spends three times its DfT 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 — not on aggregate spending. Plymouth is AMBER overall because road condition is AMBER: B and C roads lost five percentage points of green condition in 2024, and over a third of unclassified roads were in RED at the last comparable survey.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
Unclassified roads make up 621.67km — 70% of Plymouth's 882km network — and Plymouth's own Gaist surveys found 36.64% in RED condition in 2020 and 34.83% in 2022. The council surveys U-roads only every three years, so there is no network-level condition data for 2021, 2023 or 2024. That survey gap is a structural argument under Section 58.
Does Plymouth's 40mm investigatory threshold affect my claim?
It defines when Plymouth will repair a pothole — at least 40mm deep and over 300mm wide — but it does not define when the council is liable for damage. A defect below the repair threshold can still have caused your damage, and prior reports of the same location create a record of actual notice regardless of whether the pothole yet met investigatory criteria.
Plymouth says temporary pothole repairs are common — does that help my claim?
It can. Plymouth publicly acknowledges that its contractor sometimes carries out temporary fixes until permanent repairs can be arranged. A temporary patch on a road already in RED condition at the last survey suggests the underlying surface failure was known — and that reactive patching did not restore the carriageway to a maintainable standard.
Why did pothole repairs peak at 3,218 in 2023/24?
Plymouth filled 3,218 potholes in 2023/24 — the highest in five years — the same year carriageway resurfacing fell to just 1.17 miles, down from 6.03 miles in 2020/21. When preventative resurfacing collapses and reactive pothole filling spikes, defects are forming faster than structural renewal can keep pace — exactly the pattern where prior reports and photographic evidence decide claims.
The A38 is not Plymouth's responsibility — who do I claim against?
Plymouth Highways does not manage the A38 Parkway or many of its slip-roads — National Highways does. If your damage was on the A38, report it to National Highways and pursue your claim against them. Plymouth's transparency report covers HMPE (Highways Maintainable at Public Expense) only, excluding trunk roads.
Do I need to report the pothole before claiming?
Plymouth's own claims guidance states you should have reported the defect before submitting a claim. Reporting creates a dated council record — useful if the pothole was reported before your incident, or if the council failed to repair it within a reasonable time. Keep your reference number and any confirmation emails.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Plymouth City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025) | Plymouth City Council — Report a pothole. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.