Source
Department for Transport — Local road maintenance ratings 2025 to 2026
amberOverall|amber Conditiongreen Spendamber Best Practice
Sunderland: 23% of Residential Roads Now in RED
Sunderland City Council projects capital spend 73% above its DfT allocation and earns a GREEN spend scorecard. Yet the overall rating is AMBER — because 23% of unclassified roads are now in RED condition, up from 18% in 2020/21, on a network where 82% of carriageways are residential U-roads surveyed just once every four years.
23%
U-roads in RED condition (2024/25)
Up from 18% in 2020/21 — roughly 221km of residential streets on a 961km unclassified network where only 25% is inspected each year.
An 82% Residential Network
Sunderland's own transparency report — network size by road class
| Road class | Length (km) | Share of network | Survey cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| A roads | 94.9 | 8.1% | 100% annually (SCANNER) |
| B & C roads | 112.2 | 9.6% | ~50% per year (2-year cycle) |
| U roads (unclassified) | 961.1 | 82.3% | ~25% per year (4-year cycle) |
| Total carriageways | 1,168.2 | 100% | — |
1,709
km of footways maintained
427
bridges, footbridges, subways and retaining walls
44,700
highway gullies on the network
National Highways maintains the A1(M), A194(M) and A19 within the city boundary. Everything else in the table is Sunderland City Council's responsibility.
What The Condition Data Shows
Five years of SCANNER survey data — classified roads stable, residential network worsening
A-roads (94.9km — 8% of network): improving
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 1.2% | 13.7% | 85.2% |
| 2022/23 | 1.0% | 9.8% | 89.2% |
| 2024/25 | 0.9% | 9.1% | 90.0% |
Main roads are in genuinely good shape — 90% green. But A-roads are less than one-tenth of the network.
B and C roads (112.2km — 10% of network): slipping back
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 1.35% | 17.15% | 81.5% |
| 2022/23 | 0.85% | 11.0% | 88.15% |
| 2023/24 | 1.05% | 11.9% | 87.05% |
| 2024/25 | 1.3% | 12.1% | 86.6% |
B/C RED condition has nearly doubled from its 2022/23 low (0.85% → 1.3%), and amber roads are back above 12%. Only ~50% of B/C roads are surveyed each year.
Unclassified roads (961.1km — 82% of network): worsening
| Year | U-roads in RED condition |
|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 18% |
| 2021/22 | 17% |
| 2022/23 | 19% |
| 2023/24 | 19% |
| 2024/25 | 23% |
Nearly one in four U-roads is in RED — maintenance required now. That is approximately 221km of residential streets. Sunderland publishes RED percentages only for U-roads, not amber or green breakdowns.
"Approximately 25% of the unclassified road network was surveyed using coarse visual inspections, with the goal of covering the entire network over a four-year cycle. Please note that the 2024 results were based on survey data collected using the Vaisala system which utilises a windscreen mounted mobile phone and AI technology. This change in methodology may explain any variations in the results."
— Sunderland City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
GREEN Spend — But Reactive Pressure Persists
Sunderland invests well above its DfT allocation — yet over a third of spend is still reactive
| Year | DfT allocation | Capital spend | Revenue spend | Preventative % | Reactive % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | £5,826,000 | £7,992,168 | £727,650 | 69.3% | 30.7% |
| 2021/22 | £4,129,000 | £9,859,633 | £724,574 | 67.7% | 32.3% |
| 2022/23 | £4,129,000 | £5,726,225 | £775,669 | 58.9% | 41.1% |
| 2023/24 | £5,888,000 | £7,598,150 | £735,726 | 71.0% | 29.0% |
| 2024/25 | £4,732,919 | £7,342,021 | £735,357 | 64.9% | 35.1% |
| 2025/26 (projected) | £6,631,120 | £11,472,000 | £735,022 | 65.5% | 34.5% |
Why Spend Is GREEN
Projected 2025/26 capital spend of £11.47m is 73% above the £6.63m DfT allocation. The council has also borrowed £19m in prudential borrowing over the last eight years specifically for highway maintenance, plus £9m for bridges.
In 2024/25 the council resurfaced 15.54km and reconstructed 3.52km of carriageway. The 2025/26 target is 19.3km of carriageway and 6.1km of footway.
The Reactive Reality
Reactive maintenance — including pothole and footway repairs — still accounts for 29–41% of spend depending on the year. In 2022/23 reactive hit 41.1%, the highest in the five-year table.
Pothole repairs alone consumed 11.7–17.3% of reactive spend annually, costing £238,438 to £384,457 per year.
"The proportion of spending on reactive maintenance is influenced by the condition of the network and what is deemed 'actionable'—that is, requiring urgent or emergency repair. Although efforts are made to minimise this expenditure, the Council's statutory duty to maintain a safe highway remains the overriding priority."
— Sunderland City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
51,132 Potholes in Five Years
Reactive repair volume on a network where U-road RED condition keeps rising
| Year | Potholes filled | Repair cost | % of reactive spend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 9,325 | £297,526 | 17.3% |
| 2021/22 | 8,455 | £292,710 | 15.7% |
| 2022/23 | 7,799 | £238,438 | 11.7% |
| 2023/24 | 14,131 | £358,658 | 16.5% |
| 2024/25 | 11,422 | £384,457 | 14.1% |
| Five-year total | 51,132 | £1,571,789 | — |
~28 Potholes a Day, Every Day
Averaged over five years, Sunderland fills around 28 potholes per day. The council expects approximately 12,800 repairs in 2025/26 based on recorded road condition — roughly 35 per day. A network producing defects at that rate is one where potholes routinely form between inspections.
The 2023/24 Spike
Pothole fills jumped 81% year-on-year from 7,799 in 2022/23 to 14,131 in 2023/24 — the highest figure in the five-year table. That spike coincided with U-road RED condition holding at 19%. Reactive repairs did not prevent the jump to 23% RED in 2024/25.
Inspection Gaps and Section 58
How Sunderland surveys its roads — and what that means for your claim under the Highways Act
Classified Roads: SCANNER
- • A-roads: 100% surveyed annually via SCANNER laser vehicle
- • B/C roads: ~50% surveyed each year, full network over two years
- • RED means "should be considered for maintenance now"
- • From 2026/27, PAS2161 will replace the three-category system nationally
U-Roads: Coarse Visual + AI
- • ~25% of U-roads surveyed each year on a four-year cycle
- • Coarse visual inspections — not SCANNER laser surveys
- • 2024/25 data collected via Vaisala AI windscreen-mounted system
- • Council admits methodology change "may explain any variations"
"Sunderland Council follow the guidance set down in the 'Code of Practice on Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure' and use a risk-based approach when determining whether any repairs are required to the highway."
— Sunderland City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
Why This Matters For Section 58
Under Section 58 of the Highways Act 1980, a council must show it had a reasonable system for knowing the condition of its roads. For Sunderland's unclassified network, ask:
- • When was your road last condition-surveyed — and was it in the 25% inspected that year?
- • If 23% of U-roads are RED at the latest survey, what was done about yours specifically?
- • How does the council track deterioration on a road it may not inspect for four years?
- • Can pre- and post-2024 condition records be compared after the Vaisala methodology switch?
- • Does the risk-based Code approach mean your defect met the council's own intervention criteria?
A council cannot claim detailed knowledge of 961km of residential roads when it inspects only a quarter each year — and then changes how it measures.
Digital City, AMBER Best Practice
Sunderland promotes AI surveys and smart sensors — the DfT best-practice scorecard is still AMBER
What The Council Highlights
- • Vaisala AI mobile surveys for road condition assessment
- • ~80 VivaCity smart traffic sensors in and around the city centre
- • Founding member of the 11-authority North East Highway Alliance
- • Lead authority on the North East Underground Infrastructure Hub (NUAR prototype)
- • Chairs the NECA Highway Asset group
- • May 2025 Reclamite surface rejuvenation pilot and warm asphalt trials
What The Data Shows Instead
- • DfT Best Practice rating: AMBER — not GREEN
- • U-road RED condition: 18% → 23% over five years
- • 82% of the network on a four-year coarse visual cycle
- • VivaCity sensors cover principal/major roads — not the 961km U-road network
- • ~25% of the 2025/26 highway programme delivered by September 2025 scrutiny meeting
Innovation and regional leadership are genuine — but they do not offset the structural inspection gap on residential roads where most pothole damage occurs.
Claiming Against a Well-Funded AMBER Council
Honest assessment: Sunderland invests seriously — here is how that changes your approach
What Works In The Council's Favour
- ✓ GREEN spend scorecard — £11.47m projected capital vs £6.63m DfT allocation
- ✓ £19m prudential borrowing for highways over eight years
- ✓ A-road condition genuinely improving — 90% green, 0.9% red
- ✓ Documented Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure Code compliance
- ✓ Resilient network strategy aligned with DfT recommendations
Expect a structured Section 58 defence on A-roads and well-trafficked B/C routes. Generic claims will struggle.
What Works In Yours
- ✗ AMBER condition — U-road RED up from 18% to 23%
- ✗ 82% of network on four-year survey cycle — only 25% inspected per year
- ✗ 51,132 potholes filled in five years — defects form faster than inspections catch them
- ✗ Council admits Vaisala methodology change may explain condition variations
- ✗ B/C RED nearly doubled from 2022/23 low — local roads slipping back
The Winning Strategy Here Is Specificity
Against a council with GREEN spend and documented asset management, 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 four-year survey gap is your strongest structural argument
- • Whether the defect met the council's own "actionable" threshold for urgent repair
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Sunderland's own transparency data where it helps you.
Hit a Pothole in Sunderland?
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 U-road four-year survey-gap argument
- • No prior-report search
- • No Vaisala methodology challenge
Professional Claim Pack
- ✅ U-road RED rise from 18% to 23% documented
- ✅ Four-year survey gap argued
- ✅ 51,132 potholes in five years cited
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Sunderland
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sunderland has a GREEN spend scorecard — can I still claim for pothole damage?
Yes. The DfT Spend scorecard is GREEN because Sunderland projects £11.47m capital spend against a £6.63m DfT allocation in 2025/26 and targets 65.5% preventative maintenance. Section 58 turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired — not on aggregate spend. Sunderland's own condition data shows unclassified RED condition rising from 18% to 23% while B/C roads in RED climbed back to 1.3% in 2024/25.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
U-roads make up 961.1km — 82% of Sunderland's 1,168km carriageway network. The council surveys only around 25% of U-roads each year on a four-year cycle using coarse visual inspections. At the latest survey, 23% of U-roads were in RED condition — roughly 221km of estate roads, village routes and residential streets. That is your strongest structural argument: the council cannot claim detailed knowledge of a network it only inspects a quarter of each year.
Does the Vaisala AI survey change in 2024/25 affect my claim?
It cuts both ways. Sunderland's report states that 2024 U-road results used the Vaisala system — a windscreen-mounted mobile phone with AI — and that "This change in methodology may explain any variations in the results." The jump from 19% to 23% RED may partly reflect a new ruler, not a sudden collapse. But the council's own footnote admits the figures may not be directly comparable — which weakens any Section 58 defence that relies on precise network knowledge.
Sunderland expects to fill 12,800 potholes in 2025/26 — does that mean the roads are fixed?
No. Sunderland filled 11,422 potholes in 2024/25 and 51,132 over five years — yet U-road RED condition rose from 18% to 23% in the same period. Reactive volume and worsening survey data coexist. The council itself notes reactive spend is "influenced by the condition of the network and what is deemed actionable" while its statutory duty to maintain a safe highway remains the overriding priority.
Why is Sunderland AMBER on best practice despite digital innovation claims?
The DfT Best Practice scorecard is AMBER — not GREEN — even though Sunderland highlights Vaisala AI surveys, ~80 VivaCity sensors, and North East Highway Alliance membership. Best practice ratings turn on published asset management evidence, PAS2161 transition readiness, and inspection coverage — and U-roads are still on a four-year coarse visual cycle covering only 25% per year. Innovation announcements do not automatically translate into DfT scorecard green.
How does Section 58 apply to Sunderland's risk-based inspection regime?
Section 58 of the Highways Act 1980 lets councils defend claims by proving reasonable maintenance systems. Sunderland follows the Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure Code with a risk-based approach to repairs. 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 U-roads where three-quarters of the network goes uninspected in any given year.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Sunderland City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025. 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.