Nearly a Quarter of Sandwell's Estate Roads Are Now RED
DfT rates Sandwell GREEN overall — spend and best practice both above par. Yet Condition is AMBER, because the council's own data shows 23% of its 654km of unclassified roads now need maintenance, up from 15% in 2019/20. Classified A and B/C roads look stable. Three-quarters of the network does not.
GREEN Overall, AMBER Condition — the Split Scorecard
Three GREEN scorecards and one AMBER — what the DfT sees versus what estate-road data shows
| Scorecard | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall | green |
| Condition | amber |
| Spend | green |
| Best Practice | green |
What GREEN Means Here
Sandwell projects £10.94m capital spend against an £8.44m DfT allocation in 2025/26, classifies 91.9% of maintenance as preventative, and maintains a Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan approved by Cabinet in June 2025. A-roads have held at 2.4% RED for five years. The council chairs the West Midlands Joint Authorities Group on streetworks and participates in the DfT-funded Live Labs 2 decarbonisation programme. This is a well-run authority by national standards.
Why Condition Is AMBER
The DfT Condition scorecard is not fooled by stable classified-road averages. Sandwell's own Table 6 shows U-road RED share rising every year — 15%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 22%, 23% — while the council acknowledges "a slight deteriorating trend in recent years" on the 654km unclassified network that carries most local traffic through Oldbury, Smethwick, West Bromwich, Wednesbury, Tipton and Rowley Regis.
876km — and £3.9 Billion of Public Asset
Network scale from Sandwell's June 2025 transparency report — where pothole claims actually happen
The network also includes 1,480.2km of footways, 10.29km of cycleways, 106km of public rights of way, 41,857 highway drainage gullies, and 117 bridges — with no structures in very poor or red risk condition per the council's 2025/26 programme.
"The Sandwell highway network is over 876 km in length and is divided into various asset types for the purpose of maintenance. The whole network has an estimated value of £3.9 billion, which makes it the largest and most visible asset Sandwell Council is responsible for."
— Sandwell MBC Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report — Annex A (June 2025)
What The Condition Data Shows
Five years of survey data from Sandwell's own transparency report — classified roads flat, estate roads slipping
A-roads (127.3km — 14.5% of network): stable
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2.7% | 19.9% | 77.4% |
| 2022 | 2.5% | 19.9% | 77.6% |
| 2024 | 2.4% | 20.0% | 77.6% |
SCANNER surveys cover 50% of A-roads each year; figures combine two years of data. Condition has remained broadly stable — credit where due on principal routes.
B and C roads (94.8km — 10.8% of network): stable
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 2.22% | 19.64% | 78.14% |
| 2022/23 | 2.62% | 21.00% | 76.39% |
| 2024/25 | 2.18% | 20.87% | 76.95% |
The council's own report states B and C roads "have also remained broadly stable over the last five years in good overall condition." But they are barely one-ninth of the network.
Unclassified roads (654.3km — 74.7% of network): deteriorating
| Year | U-roads in RED condition |
|---|---|
| 2019/20 | 15% |
| 2020/21 | 17% |
| 2021/22 | 18% |
| 2022/23 | 19% |
| 2023/24 | 22% |
| 2024/25 | 23% |
RED share has risen every single year for five years — an eight-point climb. At 23% on 654.3km, roughly 150km of residential and estate roads are in the category the council defines as "should be considered for maintenance."
The Prevention-Condition Paradox
Sandwell spends roughly nine-tenths of its budget on prevention and repairs relatively few potholes — yet estate-road RED condition keeps climbing. The AMBER Condition scorecard is not about how much the council spends. It is about what is happening on the roads most people use.
The 654km Survey Window
Course Visual Inspections on a four-year rolling cycle — different rulers for different road classes
How U-Roads Are Measured
Sandwell collects U-road condition via Course Visual Inspections (CVI) over a four-year period, then combines the data to produce annual RED percentages. A and B/C roads use SCANNER laser surveys covering 50% of the network each year.
The council defines RED as roads that "should be considered for maintenance." When 23% of 654km sits in that category, the question for your claim is not the borough-wide average — it is whether your specific road was identified and treated in time.
The Deterioration Admission
"The condition of the unclassified carriageway network in Sandwell has shown a slight deteriorating trend in recent years, although Sandwell has secured additional funding and have plans in place that will address this and maintain the condition of the unclassified carriageway network in a satisfactory state."
— Sandwell MBC Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report — Annex A (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 Sandwell's unclassified network, ask:
- • When was your road last included in the four-year CVI survey cycle?
- • If 23% of U-roads were RED at the latest combined survey, what was done about yours?
- • Does a well-funded preventative programme on A and B/C roads extend to your residential street?
- • Can the council point to contemporaneous condition data for the road type where your incident occurred?
A GREEN overall rating measures borough-wide performance. Section 58 turns on the specific defect that damaged your vehicle — and 74.7% of Sandwell's network is U-roads on a different survey regime.
7,870 Potholes in Five Years — Fewer Than You Might Expect
Sandwell's own reactive repair figures — and what the council says they mean
| Year | Reactive carriageway potholes filled |
|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 1,619 |
| 2021/22 | 1,739 |
| 2022/23 | 1,413 |
| 2023/24 | 1,812 |
| 2024/25 | 1,287 |
| Five-year total | 7,870 |
"Typically, 90% highway maintenance spend in Sandwell goes on preventing defects becoming serious issues. It also ensures that, given the length of the road network in Sandwell, we repair relatively few potholes."
— Sandwell MBC Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report — Annex A (June 2025)
~4 Potholes a Day, Not 76
Sandwell filled 1,287 potholes in 2024/25 — roughly 3.5 per day across 876km. That is far below councils reporting tens of thousands of annual repairs. The council attributes this to preventative surfacing: 14.1km resurfaced and 35.2km surface-treated in 2024/25. But U-road RED share still rose to 23%, which suggests prevention is not reaching the whole residential network at the same pace.
When Low Counts Cut Both Ways
A low pothole count strengthens Sandwell's Section 58 paperwork on classified roads — evidence of effective prevention. On a U-road where 23% of comparable streets are already RED, it raises a different question: if so few potholes are being filled reactively, how are deteriorating estate roads being brought back into maintenance before defects form?
Following The Money
Five years of highway maintenance spending from Sandwell's transparency report
| Year | DfT capital | Additional council capital | Total capital | Revenue | Preventative % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | £5.96m | £4.89m | £10.85m | £5.70m | 91.0% |
| 2024/25 | £5.25m | £2.69m | £7.94m | £3.82m | 89.5% |
| 2025/26 (projected) | £8.44m | £2.50m | £10.94m | £3.90m | 91.9% |
2025/26 Preventative Programme
- • 49 carriageway resurfacing schemes
- • 77 carriageway surface treatment schemes
- • 30 footway resurfacing schemes
- • 150 footway surface treatment schemes
- • £3.31m preventive footway maintenance programme
- • ~£1.5m preventative bridge maintenance programme
2024/25 Treatment Delivered
- • 14.1km carriageway resurfaced or reconstructed
- • 35.2km other carriageway surface treatments
- • Multi-Hog machine acquired in 2025 for faster surface preparation
- • Asphalt recycling trial to reuse material from worn-out roads
- • Live Labs 2 decarbonisation trials with Transport for West Midlands
"Red – Should be considered for maintenance"
— Sandwell MBC Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report — Annex A (June 2025)
Claiming Against a GREEN-Rated, AMBER-Condition Council
Honest assessment: Sandwell is not Derbyshire — here is how that changes your approach
What Works In The Council's Favour
- ✓ GREEN overall, spend and best-practice DfT scorecards
- ✓ 91.9% preventative maintenance share projected for 2025/26
- ✓ A and B/C roads stable at ~2% RED for five years
- ✓ Documented HIAMP, lifecycle modelling and ISO-aligned asset management
- ✓ Relatively low reactive pothole count — evidence of active prevention on main roads
Expect a well-documented Section 58 defence on A and B/C roads. Generic claims will struggle.
What Works In Yours
- ✗ AMBER Condition — U-road RED share up from 15% to 23% in five years
- ✗ 654.3km of U-roads surveyed on a four-year CVI rolling cycle
- ✗ Council admits "slight deteriorating trend" on the estate-road network
- ✗ 74.7% of the network is U-roads — where most pothole claims originate
- ✗ Low pothole-fill counts alongside rising RED percentages — prevention may not be reaching your street
The Winning Strategy Here Is Specificity
Against a council with GREEN spend and best-practice scorecards, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (MySandwell, 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 CVI survey window and 23% RED share are your strongest structural arguments
- • Proximity to recent utility works or failed reinstatements on One.Network
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Sandwell's own transparency data where it helps you.
Report the pothole to Sandwell first
Sandwell's transparency report describes reactive maintenance as roughly 10% of highway spend, with pothole repairs undertaken when preventative treatments cannot prevent surface failure. 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 Sandwell CouncilUse the online form for non-emergency potholes. For dangerous defects, call 0121 368 1177 (Mon–Fri 8am–5.30pm) or 07867 506556 out of hours. Keep your reference number.
Hit a Pothole in Sandwell?
A well-run 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 23% RED trend cited
- • No four-year CVI survey-gap argument
- • No prior-report search
Professional claim pack
- ✅ U-road RED rise from 15% to 23% documented
- ✅ 654km estate-road network and CVI cycle argued
- ✅ AMBER Condition vs GREEN overall tension cited
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Sandwell
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sandwell's GREEN overall DfT rating block my pothole claim?
No. GREEN overall means Sandwell performs above average on network-level spend and asset management — but the DfT Condition scorecard is AMBER, and the council's own data shows unclassified roads in RED condition rose from 15% to 23% between 2019/20 and 2024/25. Section 58 of the Highways Act 1980 turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired, not on the headline scorecard.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
U-roads make up 654.3km — 74.7% of Sandwell's 876.4km carriageway network. At the 2024/25 survey, 23% were in RED condition — roughly 150km of estate streets, village routes and residential roads. Condition data is collected via Course Visual Inspections over a four-year rolling cycle and then combined. If your incident occurred on a stretch not yet captured in the current four-year window, the council's network-level knowledge of that road may be stale.
Sandwell only fixed 1,287 potholes in 2024/25 — does that mean the roads are fine?
Not necessarily. The council itself states that because roughly 90% of highway spend goes on preventative maintenance, it "repairs relatively few potholes" — 1,287 in 2024/25, down from 1,812 in 2023/24. Yet U-road RED share climbed every year for five years to 23%. Low reactive pothole counts and rising RED-condition estate roads can coexist: prevention may be holding classified roads steady while 654km of residential network still deteriorates.
Why is the DfT Condition scorecard AMBER when A and B/C roads look stable?
Sandwell's own SCANNER data shows A-roads at 2.4% RED and B/C roads at 2.18% RED in 2024/25 — broadly flat for five years. But those classified roads are only 222.1km, under a quarter of the network. The DfT's AMBER Condition rating reflects the deteriorating trend on unclassified roads — 15% RED in 2019/20 rising to 23% in 2024/25 — which is where most Sandwell motorists actually drive.
How does Sandwell's four-year U-road survey cycle affect Section 58?
Sandwell collects U-road condition via Course Visual Inspections over a four-year period, then combines the data into annual RED percentages. SCANNER surveys on A and B/C roads cover 50% of the network each year. To rely on Section 58, the council must show a reasonable system for knowing road condition. A four-year rolling window on 654km of residential roads — where RED share has risen every year — leaves questions about how quickly deterioration on your specific street was identified.
Sandwell spends 91.9% on preventative maintenance — can I still claim?
Yes. Projected 2025/26 capital spend is £10.94m against a £8.44m DfT allocation, with 91.9% classed as preventative — a GREEN Spend scorecard. But aggregate investment does not prove the individual pothole was known and repaired within reasonable timescales. Prior reports through MySandwell or FixMyStreet, photos showing defect age, and the road's place in the four-year CVI survey cycle matter more than the budget headline.
What does the PAS 2161 methodology change in 2026/27 mean for my claim?
From 2026/27, local authorities must use PAS 2161-accredited suppliers, categorising roads into five condition bands instead of three. Sandwell's transparency report notes this shift explicitly. Condition records before and after that change may not be directly comparable — which makes capturing evidence of your specific defect now, under the current RED/amber/green framework, more important.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Sandwell MBC Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report — Annex A (June 2025). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.