Source
Department for Transport — Local road maintenance ratings 2025 to 2026
amberOverall|amber Conditiongreen Spendamber Best Practice
South Tyneside: 9,594 Pothole Repairs in One Wet Winter
South Tyneside earns GREEN on the DfT spend scorecard and targets nearly 80% preventative capital work in 2025/26. Yet the overall rating is AMBER — because the council filled 9,594 potholes in 2023/24 alone, 19% of its 448km estate road network remains in RED condition, and only one-third of those residential routes are condition-surveyed in any given year.
9,594
Potholes filled in 2023/24
A 66% jump on the previous year's 5,766 repairs — while U-road RED condition sat at 20% and the council resurfaced just 5.5km of carriageway across the whole borough.
A 562km Network Built on Estate Roads
Network size from South Tyneside's own June 2025 transparency report — where claims actually happen
| Road class | Length (km) | Share of network | RED condition (2024/25) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-roads | 48.5 | 8.6% | 1.8% |
| B and C roads | 65.7 | 11.7% | 3% |
| Unclassified roads | 447.6 | 79.7% | 19% |
| Total carriageway | 561.8 | 100% | — |
At 19% RED on 447.6km of U-roads, roughly 85km of estate streets should be considered for maintenance — against just 5.5km of carriageway resurfaced in 2024/25. The council's own report states the unclassified network is “much larger than our classified A, B and C road network and is generally in a poorer condition.”
What the condition data shows
Five years of SCANNER and coarse visual inspection data from South Tyneside's transparency report
A-roads (48.5km): stable and well-maintained
1.8%
RED (2024/25)
up from 1.1% in 2020/21
16.4%
Amber
broadly flat
81.8%
Green
down slightly from 83.3%
Main roads are surveyed annually at 100% coverage by SCANNER. Condition is broadly stable — but A-roads are less than 9% of the network.
B and C roads (65.7km): flat RED, improving green
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 3% | 21% | 76% |
| 2021/22 | 4% | 22% | 74% |
| 2022/23 | 3% | 20% | 77% |
| 2023/24 | 3% | 20% | 77% |
| 2024/25 | 3% | 19% | 78% |
Unclassified roads (447.6km): the AMBER story
| Year | U-roads in RED condition |
|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 12% |
| 2021/22 | 16% |
| 2022/23 | 22%* (subject to audit/resurvey) |
| 2023/24 | 20% |
| 2024/25 | 19% |
RED-condition U-roads are up more than half since 2020/21 (12% → 19%). Even at the latest figure, that is roughly 85km of residential network the council's own surveys say should be considered for maintenance.
The three-year survey gap
South Tyneside surveys approximately 33% of unclassified roads each year by coarse visual inspection, with a target of covering the whole U-road network over three years. For Section 58, ask:
- • When was your estate road last condition-surveyed — year one, two or three of the cycle?
- • If 19% of U-roads were RED at the last borough-wide comparable survey, what was done about yours?
- • Did a pothole form and worsen in the two-thirds of the network not surveyed that year?
- • Does a safety inspection regime compensate for gaps in condition surveying on residential routes?
A council cannot claim detailed network knowledge on roads it only condition-surveys once every three years — while admitting they are generally in poorer condition than classified routes.
32,636 potholes in five years
Reactive repair volume on a network where estate-road RED condition keeps rising
| Year | Potholes filled | Daily average |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 4,881 | ~13 |
| 2021/22 | 6,015 | ~16 |
| 2022/23 | 5,766 | ~16 |
| 2023/24 | 9,594 | ~26 |
| 2024/25 | 6,380 | ~17 |
| Five-year total | 32,636 | ~18 |
The 2023/24 spike
Pothole repairs jumped 66% from 5,766 to 9,594 in 2023/24 — the same year U-road RED condition hit 20% and the council's Network North programme targeted roads that had “deteriorated faster than expected.” The council forecasts approximately 6,500 repairs in 2025/26, but past years show reactive demand tracks weather and network condition, not forecasts alone.
Repairs vs resurfacing
In 2024/25 the council resurfaced 5.5km of carriageway and carried out 1,560m² of patching — while filling 6,380 potholes. The 2025/26 target is 9km of resurfacing. Reactive fill volume and structural treatment operate on different scales: thousands of pothole patches do not equal kilometres of renewal on an 85km RED backlog.
GREEN spend on an AMBER-condition network
South Tyneside invests above its DfT allocation — yet estate roads keep slipping
| Year | DfT capital (£) | Total capital (£) | Revenue (£) | Preventative | Reactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 3,742,000 | 5,507,000 | 1,127,884 | 83.0% | 17.0% |
| 2021/22 | 3,177,428 | 7,133,000 | 1,147,110 | 86.1% | 13.9% |
| 2022/23 | 2,781,000 | 6,040,000 | 1,127,040 | 84.3% | 15.7% |
| 2023/24 | 3,022,000 | 6,632,000 | 1,147,490 | 85.2% | 14.8% |
| 2024/25 | 3,022,000 | 5,290,000 | 1,021,875 | 83.8% | 16.2% |
| 2025/26* | 3,710,000 | 5,710,000 | 1,437,000 | 79.9% | 20.1% |
* 2025/26 figures are estimates per the council report.
“The proportion that is spent on reactive maintenance is determined by the condition of the network and what is determined to be 'actionable' and in need of repair. Whilst this is kept to a minimum, the council's statutory duty to keep the highway safe is the overriding factor.”
— South Tyneside Council Local Highway Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
The insurance-claims admission
South Tyneside's own explanation for targeted resurfacing — in its own words
“The additional investment will repair roads that have deteriorated faster than expected and have received numerous insurance claims and complaints.”
— South Tyneside Council — Highway maintenance funding increase (Network North), published 2024
What this admission means
South Tyneside publicly acknowledges that Perth Avenue in South Shields and Hedworth Lane in Jarrow deteriorated faster than planned and generated “numerous insurance claims and complaints” before Network North resurfacing was brought forward in 2024/25.
Documented claims history on specific corridors raises the bar for what a reasonable inspection and repair regime looks like on those routes under Section 58.
Questions worth asking
- • Was your road on or near Perth Avenue, Hedworth Lane or River Drive?
- • Were prior insurance claims on the same defect logged before your incident?
- • If the council knew claims were clustering, why was the pothole still there when you hit it?
- • Does your road appear on the published 2025/26 highways programme?
Claiming against a well-funded AMBER council
Honest assessment: South Tyneside is not failing on spend — here is how that changes your approach
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ GREEN spend scorecard — £5.71m projected capital vs £3.71m DfT allocation
- ✓ 79.9% preventative capital spend forecast for 2025/26
- ✓ A-roads at 1.8% RED — main routes broadly stable
- ✓ Band 3 highway asset management assessment maintained since 2021
- ✓ Permit scheme, streetworks coordination and warm-mix innovation cited
Expect a documented Section 58 defence on classified roads. Generic claims will struggle.
What works in yours
- ✗ AMBER condition — U-road RED up from 12% to 19% since 2020/21
- ✗ 447.6km of estate roads — 80% of the network, generally poorer condition
- ✗ Only ~33% of U-roads condition-surveyed each year on a three-year cycle
- ✗ 32,636 pothole repairs in five years — including 9,594 in one year
- ✗ Council admission of roads with “numerous insurance claims” before resurfacing
The winning strategy here is specificity
Against a council with GREEN spend and Band 3 asset management, 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 defect size, depth and visible age (weathered edges, previous patching)
- • Estate-road location — the three-year U-road survey gap is your strongest structural argument
- • Whether your road matches Network North corridors with documented claim clusters
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites South Tyneside's own transparency data where it helps you.
Report a pothole to South Tyneside Council
Reporting creates a dated record the council cannot ignore — and prior reports strengthen Section 58 rebuttals if you later claim for damage.
Report a pothole to South Tyneside CouncilHit a pothole in South Tyneside?
A well-funded council demands a well-built claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No three-year U-road survey-gap argument
- • No 9,594-repair spike cited
- • No prior-report search
Professional claim pack
- ✅ 19% U-road RED backlog documented
- ✅ Three-year survey cycle argued
- ✅ 32,636 repairs in five years cited
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to South Tyneside
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently asked questions
South Tyneside has a GREEN spend scorecard — can I still claim for pothole damage?
Yes. The DfT Spend scorecard is GREEN because South Tyneside projects £5.71m capital spend against a £3.71m DfT allocation in 2025/26 and targets 79.9% preventative maintenance. Section 58 turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired — not on aggregate spend. The overall AMBER rating reflects estate-road condition: 19% of unclassified roads in RED on the council's own 2024/25 data.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
Unclassified roads make up 447.6km — 79.7% of South Tyneside's 561.8km carriageway network. The council's transparency report states this network is “generally in a poorer condition” than classified routes. At the latest survey, 19% of U-roads were in RED condition — roughly 85km of estate streets across South Shields, Jarrow and Hebburn.
Does the 22% U-road RED figure in 2022/23 weaken my claim?
Treat it carefully. South Tyneside's report notes 2022/23 unclassified figures were “currently being audited and subject to a resurvey.” The comparable trend still shows RED condition rising from 12% in 2020/21 to 20% in 2023/24 and 19% in 2024/25 — a sustained estate-road backlog, not a one-year anomaly.
The council only surveys one-third of U-roads each year — does that help my claim?
It can. South Tyneside surveys approximately 33% of its unclassified network annually by coarse visual inspection, targeting full coverage over three years. That means two-thirds of estate roads go uncondition-surveyed in any given year — a structural gap in network knowledge that matters for Section 58 on residential routes.
South Tyneside filled 9,594 potholes in 2023/24 — does that mean the roads are fixed?
No. The council still recorded 6,380 pothole repairs in 2024/25 and 32,636 over five years — yet U-road RED condition remains at 19%. High reactive volume on a deteriorating estate network is evidence that defects form faster than structural maintenance catches up, not proof your specific pothole was reasonably managed.
Does the Network North admission about insurance claims help my case?
It can strengthen context. South Tyneside's own Network North publication states additional resurfacing would repair roads that “have deteriorated faster than expected and have received numerous insurance claims and complaints.” That is documented council knowledge that certain routes were producing claims before targeted works — relevant when arguing a defect should have been prioritised.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | South Tyneside Council Local Highway Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025) | South Tyneside Council — Highway maintenance funding increase (Network North). 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 GREEN; 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.