Source
Department for Transport — Local road maintenance ratings 2025 to 2026
amberOverall|amber Conditionamber Spendamber Best Practice
Shropshire: England's Rural Roads, Four Years Unsurveyed
Shropshire manages 5,166km of roads — one of England's largest rural highway networks — and earns AMBER on all four DfT scorecards. The council filled 159,272 potholes in five years, yet admits 46% of its network has not been condition-surveyed since 2020 and has deteriorated through recent winters.
2,388km
Unclassified roads — last surveyed 2020
46% of Shropshire's network surveyed every four years at most. The council admits this area has deteriorated through recent winters — and won't be measured again until 2026.
What The Condition Data Shows
Multi-year visual survey data from Shropshire's own transparency report — stable A-roads, stubborn B/C decline, and a six-year blind spot on unclassified roads
The network (5,166km total)
450km
A roads (8.7%)
2,327km
B and C roads (45.0%)
2,388km
Unclassified (46.2%)
National Highways manages the M54, A5, A49 south of A5, A458 west of A5 and A483. Shropshire Council maintains everything else — overwhelmingly rural B, C and unclassified roads.
A-roads (450km): stable but not spotless
9%
RED
unchanged 2020–22 and 2022–24
7–8%
Amber
7% (2020–22), 8% (2022–24)
83–84%
Green
broadly flat
A-roads are the best-maintained class — but 9% in RED condition still means roughly 40km of principal routes needing maintenance. And A-roads are less than a tenth of the network.
B and C roads (2,327km — 45% of network)
| Survey period | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–22 | 14% | 11% | 75% |
| 2022–24 | 13% | 11% | 75% |
A marginal improvement — RED B/C roads down one percentage point — but 13% still means roughly 302km of classified local roads in RED condition. A quarter of the B/C network is amber or red and will need maintenance soon.
Unclassified roads (2,388km — 46% of network)
16%
RED (2020–24)
only published period
11%
Amber
73%
Green
16% RED means approximately 382km of village lanes, estate roads and farm tracks in the worst condition category — and that figure dates from a survey window ending in 2024, on a network the council has not re-surveyed since 2020.
AMBER Spend On A Massive Network
£33.7m
DfT capital allocation 2025/26
£35.7m
Projected capital spend 2025/26
88.8%
Estimated preventative share
Shropshire spends slightly above its DfT allocation and projects nearly 89% preventative maintenance — yet still earns an AMBER Spend scorecard. On a 5,166km network, even well-directed funding cannot keep pace with winter deterioration the council itself documents on roads it barely measures.
The 2,388km Blind Spot
46% of the network — surveyed every four years at most, and not since 2020
"The surveys are carried out every two years on main roads and every four years on minor roads; main roads are mostly A and B roads, minor roads include most C roads and unclassified roads. In 2024 surveys were delayed until this year. The unclassified network hasn't been surveyed since 2020, and is due to be surveyed by 2026. Evidence from reactive repairs suggests that this area of the network has deteriorated through recent winters, and we aim to measure the scale of this deterioration as soon as possible."
— Shropshire Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
| Road class | Survey frequency | Last condition survey |
|---|---|---|
| A and B roads (main) | Every 2 years | 2022–24 data published |
| C roads (minor) | Every 4 years | Included in 2022–24 B/C data |
| Unclassified (minor) | Every 4 years | 2020 — not due until 2026 |
The Four-Year Gap
If your pothole was on an unclassified road, Shropshire's own report confirms there has been no condition survey since 2020 — a gap of up to six years by the time the next survey is due in 2026. The 16% RED figure is from a 2020–24 window that may already understate current deterioration.
For C roads, the four-year cycle means condition data published in 2022–24 may be two years stale before the next survey — on roads the council groups with unclassified as "minor."
Visual Surveys, Not SCANNER
Shropshire uses structured visual surveys rather than the SCANNER laser system most councils report to the DfT. The council states these surveys "provide a better representation of road condition compared to SCANNER surveys, and are more closely related to the experience of highway users in Shropshire."
Different methodology, different reporting periods — but the survey gaps and deterioration admissions are documented in the council's own words regardless of technology.
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 Shropshire's unclassified network, ask:
- • When was your road last condition-surveyed — 2020, or never within the claim period?
- • If the council admits deterioration through recent winters, what was done about your road?
- • How does a four-year survey cycle catch defects forming after ice and heavy rainfall?
- • Does reactive pothole filling count as "knowing" road condition, or just cleaning up after it?
A council cannot claim detailed network knowledge on roads it has not condition-surveyed in six years — while admitting they have got worse.
159,272 Potholes in Five Years
The scale of reactive repair on England's rural heartland
| Year | Potholes filled | Roads resurfaced (miles) | Preventative / reactive split |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 24,362 | 113 | 90.8% / 9.2% |
| 2021/22 | 27,217 | 84 | 91.5% / 8.5% |
| 2022/23 | 33,785 | 146 | 91.2% / 8.8% |
| 2023/24 | 39,615 | 88 | 86.4% / 13.6% |
| 2024/25 | 34,293 | 66 | 75.2% / 24.8% |
| Five-year total | 159,272 | 497 | — |
~87 Potholes a Day, Every Day
Averaged over five years, Shropshire fills around 87 potholes per day across its 5,166km network. Pothole fillings peaked at 39,615 in 2023/24 — the same period the council links to severe winter damage. A network producing defects at that rate is one where potholes routinely form between inspections.
The Reactive Spike in 2024/25
Reactive maintenance jumped to 24.8% of total spend in 2024/25 — up from 8.5–13.6% in prior years — even as pothole fillings fell slightly to 34,293. The council projects another 34,000 pothole repairs in 2025/26 and states 99% of defects repaired permanently in 2024/25. Permanent patches still mean the defect existed in the first place.
The Winter Deterioration Admission
The council's own explanation for damage on roads it has stopped measuring
"We understand that the impacts of climate change are already being felt. Recent winters have brought severe conditions, including ice and significant rainfall, leading to increased damage to the network. As well as additional potholes, landslips have been a particular issue, prompting the use of the extra funding to address them."
— Shropshire Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
"Shropshire has a large highway network, covering over 5,100 km, and it's an intrinsic part of life in Shropshire. Due to limited alternative options, it's critically important for connecting communities, businesses and key services, and supports almost all travel in the county whether by car, public transport, cycle or on foot."
— Shropshire Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
What This Admission Means
Shropshire formally links recent winter severity to increased network damage — including on unclassified roads it admits have deteriorated but not re-surveyed. That is documented knowledge of elevated risk across a rural network with few transport alternatives.
Knowledge of accelerated winter wear raises the standard for what a "reasonable" inspection frequency looks like — especially on minor roads surveyed only every four years.
Questions Worth Asking
- • Did the council increase safety inspections after admitting winter deterioration?
- • Was your road on the council's "resilient network" receiving earlier treatment?
- • If damage was known to be accelerating, why wasn't the defect caught before it damaged your vehicle?
- • Were 2024 surveys delayed on the road where your incident occurred?
Claiming Against An All-AMBER Council
Honest assessment: Shropshire is neither Derbyshire nor Buckinghamshire — here's how that shapes your claim
What Works In The Council's Favour
- ✓ 88.8% projected preventative spend — genuine asset management focus
- ✓ 99% permanent reactive repairs in 2024/25 — right-first-time approach
- ✓ DfT Special Recognition Award 2024 for collaborative highway innovation
- ✓ A-road condition stable at 9% RED across both survey periods
- ✓ B/C RED condition marginally improved (14% → 13%)
Expect a documented Section 58 defence on well-surveyed A and B roads. Generic claims will struggle.
What Works In Yours
- ✗ AMBER on all four scorecards — condition, spend and best practice
- ✗ 2,388km unclassified roads not condition-surveyed since 2020
- ✗ 16% of U-roads RED at last survey — ~382km in worst condition
- ✗ 159,272 potholes filled in five years — defects outpace inspections
- ✗ Admitted winter deterioration on roads the council stopped measuring
- ✗ Minor roads surveyed only every four years — C and U classes
The Winning Strategy Here Is Specificity
Against a council with documented asset management and permanent repair rates, 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 an unclassified road, the six-year survey gap is your strongest structural argument
- • Timing relative to admitted winter deterioration and the 2023/24 pothole peak of 39,615
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Shropshire's own transparency data where it helps you.
Hit a Pothole in Shropshire?
A rural network demands a precise claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY Claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No four-year survey-gap argument
- • No prior-report search
- • No winter deterioration admission cited
Professional Claim Pack
- ✅ 2,388km unsurveyed since 2020 documented
- ✅ 159,272 potholes in five years cited
- ✅ Winter deterioration admission argued
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Shropshire
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shropshire is AMBER on all four DfT scorecards — can I still claim?
Yes. An AMBER overall rating does not block claims under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980. Section 58 turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired — not on aggregate scorecard colours. Shropshire's own report admits unclassified roads have deteriorated through recent winters while 46% of its network has not been condition-surveyed since 2020.
What if my pothole was on an unclassified or C road?
Unclassified roads make up 2,388km — 46% of Shropshire's network — and minor roads (most C roads and all unclassified roads) are surveyed only every four years. The council states the unclassified network has not been surveyed since 2020 and is not due until 2026. At the last available survey (2020–24), 16% of unclassified roads were in RED condition — roughly 382km of village routes, estate roads and rural lanes.
Does Shropshire's high preventative spend weaken my claim?
Not necessarily. Shropshire projects 88.8% preventative spend in 2025/26 and earned an AMBER Spend scorecard — but preventative surface dressing does not eliminate potholes forming between inspections. The council still expects to fill around 35,000 potholes in 2025/26. Your claim depends on whether the specific defect was known about and repaired in time, not on the council's aggregate spend split.
Does the council's admission that unclassified roads have deteriorated help my claim?
Yes. Shropshire states that "evidence from reactive repairs suggests that this area of the network has deteriorated through recent winters" on roads it has not condition-surveyed since 2020. That is documented knowledge of elevated deterioration risk on 46% of the network — which raises the bar for what a reasonable inspection regime looks like under Section 58.
Shropshire filled 34,293 potholes in 2024/25 — does that mean the roads are fixed?
No. Filling potholes is reactive maintenance, not proof the underlying road is sound. Shropshire filled 34,293 potholes in 2024/25 — about 94 every day — while B and C roads still had 13% in RED condition at the last survey and the council projects another 34,000 pothole repairs in 2025/26. A network producing defects at that rate is one where potholes routinely form between inspections.
Why doesn't Shropshire publish year-by-year SCANNER data like other councils?
Shropshire uses structured visual surveys rather than SCANNER laser surveys, stating these "provide a better representation of road condition compared to SCANNER surveys." It publishes condition data in multi-year periods (2020–22, 2022–24, 2020–24) rather than annual breakdowns. For your claim, the survey gaps and the council's own deterioration admissions matter more than the survey technology.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Shropshire Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (2025–2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Reusable evidence record
Council rating evidence and provenance
Rating period: 2025-2026 · Reviewed 19 July 2026
Observed DfT fact
Overall AMBER; condition AMBER; spend AMBER; best practice AMBER.
Cautious interpretation
This is network-level context. The rating does not determine liability for a particular incident or establish what was known about a specific defect.
Correction status: No correction recorded.