Redcar and Cleveland: 12,635 Potholes Filled as Resurfacing Halved
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council spends well above its DfT capital allocation and earns a GREEN spend scorecard. Yet the overall rating is AMBER — because pothole repairs spiked to 12,635 in 2023/24 while carriageway resurfacing fell from 30.6km to 10.6km, and 22% of unclassified roads were RED at the last CVI survey on a network where 525.5km of estate roads make up three-quarters of the borough.
What the condition data shows
Five years of survey data from Redcar and Cleveland's own transparency report — SCANNER and CVI until 2023, then a switch to Annual Engineer Inspection in 2024
A-roads (111.1km — 15.8% of network): methodology cliff in 2024
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1% | 14% | 85% |
| 2021 | 1% | 15% | 84% |
| 2022 | 0% | 5% | 95% |
| 2023 | 0% | 5% | 95% |
| 2024 (AEI) | 1% | 63% | 36% |
Under SCANNER, A-roads held at 95% GREEN in 2022–23. The 2024 AEI survey reclassified 63% as amber and cut green to 36% — not a sudden collapse, but a different measuring standard the council adopted proactively in 2024.
B and C roads (66.7km — 9.5% of network): RED tripled under AEI
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1% | 13% | 86% |
| 2021 | 1% | 17% | 82% |
| 2022 | 1% | 13% | 86% |
| 2023 | 1% | 12% | 87% |
| 2024 (AEI) | 6% | 65% | 29% |
SCANNER held B/C roads at 1% RED and 87% GREEN through 2023. AEI in 2024 recorded 6% RED and 65% amber — the council notes no A roads are scheduled for resurfacing in 2025/26 despite the new picture.
Above-allocation spend, below-allocation resurfacing
Redcar and Cleveland projects capital spend at roughly 157% of its DfT allocation — yet carriageway resurfacing fell from 30.61km in 2020/21 to 10.63km in 2024/25. The council is shifting from reactive pothole fills towards programmed patching, but the network is still producing defects faster than full resurfacing can keep pace.
The 525.5km estate-road majority
75% of the borough's carriageway network is unclassified — surveyed at only 25% coverage until 2023
| Year | U-roads in RED condition | Survey method | Network coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Unavailable | CVI | 25% |
| 2021 | 18% | CVI | 25% |
| 2022 | 17% | CVI | 25% |
| 2023 | 22% | CVI | 100% |
| 2024 | 7%* (AEI — not comparable) | AEI | 50% |
The 25% coverage gap
Until 2023, Redcar and Cleveland's Coarse Visual Inspection (CVI) covered only 25% of its unclassified network each year. For incidents on estate roads in 2020–22, three-quarters of the U-road network had no annual condition survey at all.
At the last comparable CVI survey with full coverage (2023), roughly one in five U-roads was in RED condition — approximately 115km of residential streets across Marske, Guisborough, Eston, Redcar and Saltburn.
*The 7% asterisk and the 2020 cyber-attack gap
In 2024 the council switched to AEI for unclassified roads. The report states AEI "may indicate a higher proportion of the network in poor condition compared to SCANNER" — so a drop from 22% to 7% is not evidence of recovery. It is a different ruler.
2020 CVI data is unavailable due to a cyber-attack. That creates another hole in the condition record for the year the borough was managing pandemic-era road deterioration.
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 Redcar and Cleveland's unclassified network, ask:
- • Was your road in the 25% of U-roads actually surveyed in the year of your incident?
- • If 22% of U-roads were RED at the 2023 full-coverage survey, what was done about yours?
- • Can pre- and post-2024 condition records be compared after the CVI-to-AEI switch?
- • Does the council's asset management platform have records for your specific road section?
A council cannot claim detailed knowledge of a network it surveyed at 25% coverage — then changed how it measures.
44,694 potholes in five years
The scale of reactive repair tells you how many defects this network produces — and when they spike
| Year | Potholes filled (estimate) | Carriageway resurfaced (km) | Programmed patching (m²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 8,143 | 30.61 | 0 |
| 2021/22 | 7,417 | 21.12 | 0 |
| 2022/23 | 6,964 | 14.31 | 0 |
| 2023/24 | 12,635 | 16.09 | 601 |
| 2024/25 | 9,535 | 10.63 | 1,845 |
| Five-year total | 44,694 | 93.76 | 2,446 |
~24 potholes a day, every day
Averaged over five years, Redcar and Cleveland fills around 24 potholes per day. The 2023/24 spike to 12,635 — roughly 35 per day — coincided with only 16.09km of resurfacing. A network producing defects at that rate is one where prior reports and photographic evidence decide claims.
The strategic shift to programmed patching
The council's own report notes that from 2023/24, "a greater emphasis is on programmed highway patching, rather than reactive individual pothole repairs." Programmed patching rose from 601m² to 1,845m² in 2024/25, with 2,000m² planned for 2025/26. Individual pothole counts may fall even when underlying surface deterioration continues.
The AEI methodology change
The council's own explanation for why 2024 condition figures look worse — in its own words
"While AEI may indicate a higher proportion of the network in poor condition compared to SCANNER, this reflects its whole engineering-led evaluation of entire maintenance lengths. AEI therefore provides a more accurate representation of maintenance needs and aligns with practical delivery on the ground whilst being aligned for the new PAS 2161 survey standards."
— Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report, June 2025
"In 2024, the Council made the proactive decision to move to Annual Engineer Inspection (AEI) for the classified and unclassified road network. This decision was in line with the DfT widening the scope for local authorities to explore different technologies."
— Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report, June 2025
What this admission means
Redcar and Cleveland formally acknowledges that AEI produces worse-looking condition data than SCANNER — not because roads suddenly deteriorated, but because the survey evaluates entire road sections rather than 10-metre sub-sections.
That is documented knowledge that published GREEN percentages from 2020–23 understate maintenance need compared to the 2024 AEI baseline — relevant when a council cites historical condition data in a Section 58 defence.
Questions worth asking
- • Which survey method was used for your road in the year of your incident?
- • Does the council's asset management platform show your section as amber or red under AEI?
- • If AEI recommends resurfacing for your road, why was only a pothole fill done?
- • Can the council compare pre-2024 SCANNER/CVI records with post-2024 AEI in your claim response?
Claiming against an above-budget AMBER council
Honest assessment: Redcar and Cleveland invests above its DfT allocation — here's how that changes your approach
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ GREEN spend scorecard — projects £6.977m capital against £4.434m DfT allocation
- ✓ 90% preventative maintenance targeted for 2025/26
- ✓ Dedicated asset management platform with prioritised forward programme
- ✓ Proactive AEI adoption ahead of mandatory PAS 2161 transition
- ✓ A, B and C roads surveyed at 100% annually
Expect a documented Section 58 defence on classified roads. Generic claims will struggle.
What works in yours
- ✗ AMBER condition — 22% of U-roads RED at last CVI survey; AEI shows 63% amber on A-roads
- ✗ 75% of network is U-roads — historically surveyed at only 25% coverage
- ✗ 12,635 potholes filled in 2023/24 — defects forming faster than resurfacing (10.63km in 2024/25)
- ✗ 2020 U-road data lost to cyber-attack — gap in condition records
- ✗ Council admits AEI shows worse condition than SCANNER — methodology break in 2024
The winning strategy here is specificity
Against a council with GREEN spend and a data-led asset management platform, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (FixMyStreet, council reports) — 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 25% CVI coverage gap is your strongest structural argument
- • Timing relative to the 2023/24 pothole spike and the 2024 AEI methodology change
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Redcar and Cleveland's own transparency data where it helps you.
Hit a pothole in Redcar and Cleveland?
An above-budget council demands a well-built claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No U-road 25% coverage-gap argument
- • No prior-report search
- • No AEI methodology challenge
Professional claim pack
- ✅ 22% U-road RED rate documented
- ✅ 25% CVI coverage gap argued
- ✅ 44,694 potholes in five years cited
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Redcar and Cleveland
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently asked questions
Redcar and Cleveland has a GREEN spend scorecard — can I still claim for pothole damage?
Yes. The council projects £6.977m capital spend against a £4.434m DfT allocation in 2025/26 and targets 90% preventative maintenance. Section 58 turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired — not on aggregate spend. The DfT Condition scorecard is AMBER, and the council's own data shows unclassified RED failure rising to 22% in 2023 before the switch to AEI.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
U-roads make up 525.5km — roughly 75% of Redcar and Cleveland's 703.3km carriageway network. CVI surveys covered only 25% of U-roads until 2023, when coverage reached 100%. At the last comparable CVI survey, 22% of unclassified roads were in the RED category. From 2024, the council switched to Annual Engineer Inspection (AEI), which the report itself says may indicate a higher proportion of poor condition.
Does the 2024 AEI methodology change weaken my claim?
Not necessarily — but you need to know which ruler applies. Redcar and Cleveland moved from SCANNER/CVI to AEI in 2024. The council states AEI "may indicate a higher proportion of the network in poor condition compared to SCANNER" because it evaluates entire road sections rather than 10-metre sub-sections. Pre- and post-2024 figures are not directly comparable, and the council says as much in its own report.
Pothole repairs spiked to 12,635 in 2023/24 — does that mean the roads are fixed?
No. The 12,635 figure is the highest in five years — 41% above the five-year average of roughly 8,940. Carriageway resurfacing fell from 30.61km in 2020/21 to 10.63km in 2024/25. Reactive maintenance still accounted for 20% of spend in 2024/25. High pothole volumes and declining resurfacing can coexist.
Why is Redcar and Cleveland AMBER on best practice despite its asset management platform?
The DfT Best Practice scorecard is AMBER — not GREEN — even though the council highlights AEI surveys, a dedicated asset management platform, and a five-year forward programme. Best practice ratings turn on published evidence and inspection coverage. The council's 2020 U-road CVI data is unavailable due to a cyber-attack, and the methodology change in 2024 creates a break in comparable condition records.
How does Section 58 apply to Redcar and Cleveland's inspection regime?
Section 58 of the Highways Act 1980 lets councils defend claims by proving reasonable maintenance systems. Redcar and Cleveland SCANNER-surveys A, B and C roads at 100% annually, but U-road CVI coverage was only 25% until 2023. Your claim succeeds when evidence shows the specific defect met intervention criteria, was previously reported, or should have been found before you hit it — especially on estate roads where one in five were RED at the last CVI survey.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.