Reading: 79% of residential roads green — on data the DfT calls incomplete
Reading Borough Council invested £17 million of its own capital in roads and footways since 2020/21, lifting unclassified roads from 35% to 79% green condition. The DfT Spend scorecard is GREEN and overall is AMBER — but the department flags Reading's ratings as based on incomplete road condition data, while the council's own ASOR records almost 400 safety defects in each of 2023/24 and 2024/25, nearly double the prior year.
The DfT scorecards — and the incomplete-data asterisk
Department for Transport local road maintenance ratings 2025/26, with Reading's published transparency report (27 June 2025)
DfT caveat (Reading***)
The Department for Transport notes that Reading's overall rating and its condition and best-practice scorecards are “based on incomplete road condition data, which has affected these ratings.” That is the government's characterisation — not ours.
Reading's own transparency report adds that between 2018 and 2022, a shared Berkshire survey contract had “issues with the quality of the surveys produced by the contractor which will have skewed the local classified road results” — meaning the council “will have been working with inaccurate information when planning its resurfacing programmes.”
The network in numbers
Breakdown from Reading's transparency report: 36.9km A-roads, 68.9km B and C roads, 291.6km U-roads. The council also maintains 1,027km of footways, 80 bridges and 18,844 lighting units.
What the condition data shows
SCANNER survey results for classified roads and CVI inspections for residential streets — from Reading's Local highways maintenance transparency report (27 June 2025)
A-roads (36.9km): green share falling since 2021
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 6% | 32.2% | 61.8% |
| 2021 | 4.6% | 32.2% | 63.1% |
| 2023 | 5.7% | 37.8% | 56.5% |
| 2024 | 6.5% | 35.9% | 57.6% |
A-road red condition rose from 4.6% in 2021 to 6.5% in 2024, while green fell from 63.1% to 57.6%. The council notes “minor deterioration” on classified roads and is mid-way through a two-year A–C investment programme.
B and C roads (68.9km): red share improved, amber fell
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2.5% | 23.23% | 74.27% |
| 2022 | 5.69% | 29.62% | 64.69% |
| 2024 | 2.79% | 20.64% | 76.57% |
B and C roads show the strongest classified-network improvement — red down from a 2022 peak of 5.69% to 2.79% in 2024. That helps the council on main distributor routes, but remember the DfT incomplete-data flag and the 2018–2022 survey quality admission.
The residential transformation — and what it leaves out
Reading prioritised 291.6km of previously “neglected” residential streets, surfacing 101.146km of U-roads and improving 900+ local roads. Of the remaining 21% needing treatment, less than 1% is in red — but investigations suggest red areas are often localised clusters of potholes rather than whole road lengths.
U-road condition is monitored through coarse visual inspections (CVI) by highway inspectors — a different methodology from SCANNER laser surveys on classified roads. The transparency report's U-road RED category table shows 0% each year 2020–2024, which reflects that specific metric, not an claim that residential streets are defect-free.
Safety defects, maintenance defects and pothole repairs
The council's Carriageway ASOR summary (March 2025) and transparency report repair tables
Almost 400 safety defects were recorded in both 2023/24 and 2024/25 — almost double the amount in 2022/23. Despite resurfacing investment, “significant levels of defects exist on the roads that have not been resurfaced recently with clusters of defects on some roads.”
The quantity of maintenance defects recorded in three of the last four years has been approximately 3,000. Customer contacts about carriageways run 600–800 annually; 2024/25 reported 760 — within the expected range.
| Year | Potholes filled | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 5,030 | Historical peak cited in transparency report |
| 2019/20 | 3,680 | Pre-£17M programme baseline |
| 2020/21 | 2,236 | Capital programme begins |
| 2021/22 | 1,328 | Lowest year in five-year table |
| 2022/23 | 1,242 | Continued decline |
| 2023/24 | 2,055 | 94% of 40mm+ potholes repaired within 28 days (Corporate KPI) |
| 2024/25 | 1,590 | Council cites capital programme reducing formations |
“Despite the investment made in resurfacing over recent years significant levels of defects exist on the roads that have not been resurfaced recently with clusters of defects on some roads.”
— Reading Borough Council — Carriageway ASOR summary (March 2025)
GREEN spend — and the funding cliff ahead
Five years of capital and revenue maintenance spending from Reading's transparency report
| Year | DfT capital (£) | Total capital spend | Revenue spend | Preventative | Reactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | £2.335m | £3.472m | £1.281m | 80% | 20% |
| 2021/22 | £1.838m | £7.198m | £2.212m | 85% | 15% |
| 2023/24 | £1.838m | £7.092m | £2.552m | 85% | 15% |
| 2024/25 | £1.838m | £7.015m | £2.550m | 90% | 10% |
| 2025/26 (proj.) | £2.77m | £5.806m | £2.633m | 90% | 10% |
The £17M own-capital programme
Beyond DfT Local Transport Plan awards, Reading invested £17M of council capital from 2020/21 to 2026/27 — plus a further £8m residential resurfacing programme referenced on the council's road improvements page (following a completed £9m scheme).
Delivered work includes 29.746km of classified resurfacing, 101.146km of U-road surfacing, 1.6km of Rhinophalt preservation on the A33, and 175+ strengthened footpaths.
Future funding warning
Reading's Carriageway ASOR states future investment at £500k is less than half the level required to prevent deterioration. Over time, “the benefit of recent investment will be eroded and a consequential increase in roads in poor and deteriorating condition can be expected.”
The same report anticipates future funding “will be insufficient to prevent deterioration” on classified roads even as 2025/26 schemes complete.
The classified-road deterioration admission
Reading's own explanation for slipping main-road condition — in its own words
“After years of improvement the classified roads have deteriorated in 2024/25. Very little work was carried out on classified roads between the 2023 and 2024 surveys in terms of resurfacing and surface treatment. This was due to the preparation of a 2 year contract.”
— Reading Borough Council — Carriageway ASOR summary (March 2025)
“Future funding however is anticipated to be insufficient to prevent deterioration.”
— Reading Borough Council — Carriageway ASOR summary (March 2025)
Why this matters for Section 58
To rely on the Section 58 defence, Reading must show a reasonable system for knowing and repairing road defects. Ask:
- • Was your road one of the 21% of U-roads still needing treatment — or in a localised red cluster?
- • If classified roads deteriorated during a contract-preparation gap, was your A or B road inspected adequately?
- • Does the DfT incomplete-data flag undermine network-wide condition claims?
- • Did prior reports (FixMyStreet, council portal) put the council on notice before your incident?
- • Reading defends 83% of settled claims — what specific evidence separates the 17% that succeed?
A council cannot point to borough-wide green percentages while its own ASOR documents survey gaps, defect clusters and insufficient future funding.
What this means for your claim
Honest assessment: Reading is not Slough — but AMBER with incomplete data is not automatic rejection either
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ GREEN spend — more than double DfT allocation in recent years
- ✓ 90% preventative maintenance projected for 2025/26
- ✓ 79% U-road green condition after documented £17M programme
- ✓ 99% pothole response-time compliance on R1/R2 priorities (transparency report)
- ✓ NHT survey: 29 of 30 highway maintenance indicators above national average (2024/25)
Expect a structured Section 58 defence on recently resurfaced residential streets with documented inspection regimes.
What works in yours
- ✗ DfT flags incomplete road condition data for overall, condition and best-practice scorecards
- ✗ 2018–2022 SCANNER survey quality issues skewed classified-road planning data
- ✗ ~400 safety defects in 2023/24 and 2024/25 — nearly double 2022/23
- ✗ Classified roads deteriorated in 2024/25 during a works-programme gap
- ✗ Future funding at £500k — less than half needed to prevent deterioration
- ✗ 21% of U-roads still need treatment; defect clusters on un-resurfaced routes
The winning strategy here is specificity
Against a council with GREEN spend and a genuine residential-road improvement story, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect and road:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (FixMyStreet, council portal) — proof of actual notice
- • Photos showing size, depth and visible age (weathered edges, previous patching)
- • Road class — CVI-inspected U-roads vs SCANNER-surveyed A/B/C routes carry different evidential angles
- • Whether your street was in the 21% still awaiting treatment or a documented defect cluster
- • Timing relative to the 2023–2024 classified-road maintenance gap
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Reading's own transparency and ASOR data where it helps you.
Report the pothole to Reading first
Reading prioritises defects deeper than 40mm, wider than 300mm, with a vertical edge — but all reports create a dated record. Response targets range from 3 hours to 28 days depending on risk classification. Keep your reference number even if the defect does not immediately meet repair criteria.
Report a road or street problem to Reading Borough CouncilFor trunk roads and motorways (M4, parts of A33), report to National Highways instead. Reading repairs defects using risk-based priorities — not every reported pothole will meet the 40mm/300mm threshold.
Hit a pothole in Reading?
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 DfT incomplete-data argument
- • No classified-road deterioration gap cited
- • No prior-report search
Professional claim pack
- ✅ 79% U-road headline challenged with ASOR context
- ✅ Incomplete DfT data flag and survey-quality admission cited
- ✅ ~400 safety defects and classified-road gap documented
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Reading
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently asked questions
Reading spends more than double its DfT allocation — can I still claim?
Yes. The DfT Spend scorecard is GREEN because Reading projects £5.806m capital spend against a £2.77m DfT allocation in 2025/26, with an estimated 90% preventative share. But the overall and condition scorecards are AMBER, and the DfT notes Reading'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 does the DfT incomplete road condition data flag mean for my claim?
The Department for Transport marks Reading with *** in its 2025/26 ratings table, noting that overall, condition and best-practice scorecards are “based on incomplete road condition data.” Reading's own transparency report also admits a 2018–2022 Berkshire survey contract produced quality issues that “will have skewed the local classified road results.” That weakens any blanket Section 58 defence built on network-wide condition records.
If 79% of residential roads are green, does that weaken my pothole claim?
Not necessarily — and the headline needs context. Reading measures U-road condition through coarse visual inspections (CVI), not the same SCANNER surveys used on classified roads. The council's ASOR (March 2025) states 21% of unclassified roads still need treatment, clusters of defects persist on un-resurfaced routes, and future funding at £500k is “less than half the level required to prevent deterioration.” Your claim lives on the specific road and defect, not borough-wide percentages.
Reading repaired fewer potholes in 2024/25 — are the roads fixed?
Reading filled 1,590 potholes in 2024/25 — down from 2,055 in 2023/24 and a peak of 3,680 in 2019/20. The council attributes lower counts to its £17M capital programme reducing defects forming in the first place. Yet its own ASOR records almost 400 safety defects in both 2023/24 and 2024/25 — nearly double 2022/23 — and roughly 3,000 maintenance defects in three of the last four years.
Does Reading defending 83% of settled claims mean I should not bother?
No. The council's Carriageway ASOR (March 2025) states it defended 83% of settled third-party claims in 2024/25 — meaning roughly one in six settled claims resulted in compensation. That is not a reason to avoid claiming; it shows claims do succeed when evidence is strong. Prior reports, photos showing defect age, and Reading's own admissions about classified-road deterioration and survey gaps strengthen specific cases.
What if my pothole was on an A-road like the A33 or Oxford Road?
Classified roads make up 105.8km — about 27% of Reading's 397.4km network. After years of improvement, Reading's ASOR confirms classified roads deteriorated in 2024/25 because “very little work was carried out” between 2023 and 2024 surveys while a two-year contract was prepared. A-road green condition fell from 63.1% in 2021 to 57.6% in 2024. If your damage was on a main road during that gap, the council's own explanation is relevant to Section 58.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Reading Borough Council — Local highways maintenance transparency report (27 June 2025) | Reading Borough Council — Transparency report Appendix B (31 October 2025) | Reading Borough Council — Carriageway ASOR summary (March 2025). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.