Solihull: pothole repairs more than doubled as HS2 diversions tore through rural roads
Solihull earns a GREEN DfT spend scorecard and projects 81% preventative maintenance for 2025/26. Yet the overall rating is AMBER — because pothole repairs climbed from 753 to 1,640 in three years, 27% of the borough's 680km unclassified network is in RED condition, and the council admits HS2 diversion traffic is accelerating decay on rural roads it can only “make safe”.
What the DfT AMBER rating means — and what it doesn't
Three scorecards from the Department for Transport's 2025/26 local road maintenance ratings, cross-checked against Solihull's own June 2025 transparency report
The honest read
Solihull is not a failing council. It matches its DfT allocation, runs a risk-based prioritisation programme (A roads first, then B, C, then other roads), and its classified road condition is genuinely strong. A generic template claim on an A-road near the airport will face a well-organised Section 58 defence.
But the DfT rates programmes, not potholes. Solihull's own data shows reactive repairs surging, U-road RED condition climbing, and HS2-related diversions damaging rural roads faster than major repairs could be scheduled. The rating doesn't decide your claim — the evidence about your defect does.
What the condition data shows
Five years of survey data from Solihull's own transparency report — classified roads steady, unclassified roads slipping
A-roads (120km): target 4% RED, currently 3%
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1% | 28% | 71% |
| 2021 | 4% | 29% | 67% |
| 2022 | 4% | 31% | 65% |
| 2023 | 6% | 30% | 64% |
| 2024 | 3% | 29% | 68% |
Credit where due: A-roads are back below Solihull's 4% RED target after a spike to 6% in 2023, when resources were diverted to B and C road repairs. But A-roads are just 12% of the network.
B and C roads (185km): broadly stable
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1% | 11% | 88% |
| 2021 | 2% | 18% | 80% |
| 2022 | 2% | 16% | 82% |
| 2023 | 3% | 23% | 74% |
| 2024 | 2% | 14% | 84% |
B and C roads recovered after the 2023 spike — 84% Green in 2024. The council notes it redirected resources to these roads that year, which temporarily pushed A-road RED above target.
Unclassified roads (680km — 69% of network): deteriorating
| Year | U-roads in RED |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 36% |
| 2021 | 17% |
| 2022 | 21% |
| 2023 | 21% |
| 2024 | 27% |
After improving from 36% RED in 2020 to 17% in 2021, U-road condition has climbed back to 27% — roughly 184km of residential streets, estate roads and rural routes that the council considers in need of maintenance treatment.
U-roads are assessed by visual inspection rather than SCANNER laser surveys. The council has introduced VAISALA continual surveys, but the published RED percentages above come from the visual inspection programme.
GREEN spend, AMBER condition
Solihull spends its full DfT allocation and has shifted back toward prevention — yet pothole repairs hit a five-year high and U-road RED condition is rising. The problem on residential and rural roads is not the chequebook alone; it is diversion traffic, repair scheduling conflicts, and a network where defects outpace inspections.
The HS2 diversion admission
The council's own explanation for U-road deterioration — in its own words
“The unclassified network has deteriorated due to a reduction in available funding and the increased use of several rural roads as diversion routes due to HS2. As these are being used as diversion routes only minor maintenance can be undertaken which does not prevent further deterioration from occurring.”
— Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council — Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report, June 2025
“Whilst the impact has been seen on the Classified network the unclassified rural roads have suffered the most deterioration as a result. This is often due to the traffic management conflicts meaning it has been difficult to undertake major repairs until the works have been completed. As a result a 'make safe' repairs approach has had to be undertaken to keep the road safe.”
— Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council — Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report, June 2025
What this admission means
Solihull formally acknowledges that HS2-related diversion traffic is accelerating deterioration on rural unclassified roads — and that major repairs could not be scheduled because of traffic management conflicts. That is documented knowledge of elevated risk on specific corridors.
Knowledge of accelerated wear raises the standard for what a “reasonable” inspection frequency looks like on affected routes under Section 58.
Questions worth asking
- • Was your road on or near an HS2 diversion route?
- • Did the council increase inspection frequency on those corridors?
- • If deterioration was known to be accelerating, why was only a “make safe” patch applied?
- • Was your pothole on one of the 88 roads scheduled for 2025/26 resurfacing — or still waiting?
4,233 potholes in four years
Reactive repair counts from Solihull's transparency report — undertaken in line with the DfT Code of Practice for well-maintained highways
| Year | Potholes filled |
|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 753 |
| 2022/23 | 775 |
| 2023/24 | 1,065 |
| 2024/25 | 1,640 |
| Four-year total | 4,233 |
The council's published table lists five column headers including “2022/22” (apparent typographical error) with values 753, 773, 775, 1,065 and 1,640. The four financial years above use the 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25 figures (753, 775, 1,065, 1,640).
More than doubled in three years
Pothole repairs rose 118% from 753 in 2021/22 to 1,640 in 2024/25 — an average of roughly 4.5 potholes filled every day in the most recent year. A network producing defects at that accelerating rate is one where potholes routinely form between inspections.
Against a “steady state” narrative
The council states that “a steady state is being maintained for the condition of the highway network” — but that characterisation fits classified roads, not the U-road network where RED condition has climbed from 17% to 27% while reactive repairs surged.
Maintenance spending — shifting back to prevention
Five years of capital and revenue spend from Solihull's transparency report
| Year | DfT capital (£,000s) | Capital spend (£,000s) | Revenue (£,000s) | Preventative | Reactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 4,278 | 4,336 | 2,567 | 85% | 15% |
| 2021/22 | 5,733 | 5,733 | 2,686 | 85% | 15% |
| 2022/23 | 5,737 | 6,417 | 2,657 | 87% | 13% |
| 2023/24 | 4,146 | 4,293 | 2,723 | 67% | 33% |
| 2024/25 | 4,552 | 4,552 | 2,666 | 78% | 22% |
| 2025/26 (projected) | 7,162 | 7,162 | 2,630 | 81% | 19% |
2025/26 resurfacing programme
For 2025/26, Solihull has identified 88 roads for resurfacing covering an estimated 35km, developed using in-car AI camera defect surveys plus inspector input. The council's stated aim is to “reduce the number of potholes appearing” — but 1,640 were filled in the year before this programme begins.
Claiming against a well-funded AMBER council
Honest assessment: Solihull invests seriously on classified roads — here's how that changes your approach
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ GREEN spend scorecard — matches full £7.162m DfT allocation for 2025/26
- ✓ 81% projected preventative maintenance — up from a reactive-heavy 2023/24
- ✓ A-roads at 3% RED — below the council's 4% target
- ✓ Documented asset management plans and permit scheme for streetworks
- ✓ Council states insurance claims have reduced under its preventative approach
Expect a structured Section 58 defence on principal A and B roads. Generic claims will struggle.
What works in yours
- ✗ AMBER condition — 27% of U-roads in RED at the 2024 survey
- ✗ 680km unclassified network — 69% of the borough where claims most often arise
- ✗ Pothole repairs up 118% in three years — defects forming faster than prevention catches them
- ✗ Admitted HS2 diversion damage with only “make safe” repairs possible
- ✗ AMBER best practice scorecard — documented process gaps the DfT has flagged
The winning strategy here is specificity
Against a council with GREEN spend and a preventative maintenance narrative, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (FixMyStreet, council online form) — 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 27% RED rate and HS2 diversion admission are your strongest structural arguments
- • Location relative to documented HS2 diversion routes and traffic management conflicts
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Solihull's own transparency data where it helps you.
Report the pothole to Solihull first
Solihull's transparency report describes reactive repairs organised by highway inspectors in line with the DfT Code of Practice. 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 Solihull CouncilUse the council's online form. Keep your reference number and any confirmation emails.
Hit a pothole in Solihull?
A well-funded borough with HS2 pressure on rural roads demands a precise claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No U-road deterioration argument
- • No prior-report search
- • No HS2 diversion corridor analysis
Professional claim pack
- ✅ 27% U-road RED condition documented
- ✅ 118% pothole repair rise cited
- ✅ HS2 diversion admission quoted
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Solihull
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently asked questions
Solihull has a GREEN spend scorecard — can I still claim?
Yes. The DfT Spend scorecard is GREEN because Solihull matches its £7.162m capital allocation in 2025/26 and projects 81% preventative maintenance. But Section 58 turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired — not on aggregate budgets. The overall DfT rating is AMBER because road condition and best practice are both AMBER.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
Unclassified roads make up 680km — 69% of Solihull's 985km carriageway network. The council's own transparency report shows 27% of U-roads in RED condition in 2024, up from 17% in 2021. The council admits HS2 diversion routes have accelerated deterioration on rural U-roads, where only “make safe” repairs could be undertaken until construction works finish.
Does the council's claim that insurance claims have reduced weaken my case?
Not necessarily. Solihull states that its preventative approach “has reduced” insurance claims — a borough-wide trend, not proof that your specific defect was reasonably managed. Pothole repairs still rose from 753 in 2021/22 to 1,640 in 2024/25, and the council documents faster-than-expected deterioration on diversion routes. Your claim lives on evidence about your pothole, not borough-wide claim statistics.
Does the HS2 diversion admission help my claim?
Yes. Solihull publicly states that rural unclassified roads used as HS2 diversion routes have deteriorated faster than expected, that traffic management conflicts prevented major repairs, and that a “make safe” approach was required. That is documented knowledge of elevated risk on specific corridors — which raises the bar for what a reasonable inspection and repair regime looks like on affected routes under Section 58.
Pothole repairs more than doubled — does that mean the roads are fixed?
No. Solihull filled 1,640 potholes in 2024/25 compared with 753 in 2021/22 — a 118% rise. The council's own report describes a “steady state” on classified roads while U-road RED condition climbed back to 27%. Rising reactive repair counts on a network where 69% is unclassified roads is evidence that defects keep forming.
Who maintains the roads around Birmingham Airport and the NEC?
Solihull Council maintains the borough's 985km local road network, including routes serving Birmingham Airport, Birmingham International Station and the NEC — all within the borough boundary. National Highways maintains trunk roads and motorways. HS2 Interchange Station will also sit within Solihull. Check who maintains your specific road before claiming; defects on trunk roads go to National Highways, not the borough council.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council — Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.