Telford and Wrekin: 102km of B and C roads need maintenance soon
Telford and Wrekin Council's own Annual Engineer Inspection data flags 31% of B and C roads amber — 102.3km where “maintenance may be required soon” — while green-condition classified roads fell from 75% to 64% in five years. The DfT rates overall maintenance AMBER, spend GREEN, and best practice AMBER. Meanwhile 525km of unclassified roads — more than half the borough — are condition-surveyed on a four-year rotation.
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 Telford and Wrekin's own June 2025 transparency report
The honest read
Telford and Wrekin is not a failing council. It projects spending above its DfT allocation, targets roughly three-quarters of investment at preventative works, and runs risk-based safety inspections across 965km of roads, 352km of footways and 36,000 drainage gullies. A generic template claim on a recently resurfaced A-road will face a structured Section 58 defence.
But the DfT rates programmes, not potholes. The council's own data shows B/C amber roads at a five-year high, reactive maintenance peaking at 34% of spend in 2024/25, and more than half the network on a four-year condition survey cycle. The rating doesn't decide your claim — the evidence about your defect does.
What the condition data shows
Five years of AEI survey data from Telford and Wrekin's own transparency report — classified roads surveyed annually, unclassified roads on a four-year rotation
A-roads (110km — 11.4% of network): stable RED under AEI
All A-roads are surveyed annually. The council switched from SCANNER to Annual Engineer Inspection in 2021 and notes AEI may show higher proportions in amber and red categories than the previous methodology — the 2% to 7% RED shift largely reflects a different ruler, not necessarily a sudden collapse of main routes.
B and C roads (330km — 34.2% of network): amber rising
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4% | 21% | 75% |
| 2021 | 2% | 18% | 80% |
| 2022 | 3% | 16% | 81% |
| 2023 | 5% | 26% | 69% |
| 2024 | 5% | 31% | 64% |
Amber B/C roads jumped from 21% to 31% in four years — an extra 33km flagged for maintenance. Green roads fell from 75% to 64%. A third of the B/C network now needs — or will soon need — intervention, even before counting the 5% in RED (16.5km).
The 2024/25 investment dip
Capital spend nearly halved in 2024/25 — down from £16.5m in 2020/21 — while reactive maintenance climbed to 34% of total spend, the highest share in five years. The 2025/26 rebound is projected, not yet delivered.
The 525km four-year survey cycle
54.4% of the network is unclassified roads — condition-surveyed on a rolling four-year programme
| Year | U-roads in RED condition |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 5% |
| 2021 | 5% |
| 2022 | 6% |
| 2023 | 6% |
| 2024 | 6% |
The 25%-per-year gap
Telford and Wrekin's own report states that 25% of U-roads are surveyed annually, delivering a full network survey over a four-year period in accordance with DfT requirements. That means any given residential street may go up to four years between condition surveys.
At 5–6% RED, roughly 26–31km of unclassified roads were flagged for maintenance at each survey — estate streets, village routes and residential cul-de-sacs across the borough.
DfT minimum, not best practice
A four-year U-road cycle meets DfT reporting requirements, but classified A and B/C roads are surveyed every year. The council knows the condition of its main routes annually — yet the majority of the network, where most residents live, is measured on a slower timetable.
For Section 58, ask when your specific road was last condition-surveyed — and whether deterioration between surveys was tracked through safety inspections or resident reports.
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 Telford and Wrekin's unclassified network, ask:
- • When was your road last included in the 25% annual U-road survey sample?
- • If 5–6% of U-roads were RED at the last borough-wide survey, what was done about yours?
- • How does the council track deterioration on a road it may not condition-survey for four years?
- • Did routine safety inspections on your route pick up the defect before it damaged your vehicle?
A council cannot claim detailed network knowledge where condition data is four years old — and safety inspections are separate from structural condition surveys.
14,282 potholes in five years
Reactive repair volumes from the council's published transparency tables — minor works only, excluding patching and resurfacing schemes
| Year | Potholes repaired (estimate) |
|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 3,167 |
| 2021/22 | 2,884 |
| 2022/23 | 2,534 |
| 2023/24 | 3,155 |
| 2024/25 | 2,542 |
| Five-year total | 14,282 |
~2,850 repairs a year on average
The council's own report states an average of approximately 2,850 pothole repairs per year. These figures exclude repairs undertaken as part of patching or resurfacing schemes — so the true defect count on the network is higher. The 2023/24 spike to 3,155 coincided with the lowest capital spend year.
2025/26 projection: 2,500 fills
The council estimates 2,500 pothole fills in 2025/26 alongside 5.2km of carriageway resurfacing, 12.6km of preservation treatments and 6,000m² of patching. On a 965km network, even a full delivery of planned works touches a fraction of the carriageway each year.
The 2021 survey methodology change
Why pre- and post-2021 condition figures need careful reading — in the council's own words
“While AEI may indicate a higher proportion of the network in different condition compared to SCANNER, it reflects the holistic, engineering-led evaluation of entire lengths of road. This provides a more accurate representation of maintenance needs and aligns with delivery on the ground.”
— Telford and Wrekin Council — Annual Local Highway Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
A-road RED condition rose from 2% under SCANNER to a stable 7% under AEI from 2021. The council aligns to emerging PAS 2161 standards from 2026/27 — part of why the DfT Best Practice scorecard is AMBER. For claims, use post-2021 AEI trends on your road class rather than comparing 2020 SCANNER baselines directly to current figures.
Claiming against an AMBER council with GREEN spend
Honest assessment: Telford and Wrekin invests above its DfT allocation — here's how that changes your approach
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ GREEN spend scorecard — projects £15.108m capital against £13.108m DfT allocation
- ✓ ~75% of five-year spend classed as preventative on average
- ✓ Documented asset management strategy and risk-based safety inspections
- ✓ Dangerous reported defects targeted for repair within one working day
Expect a structured Section 58 defence on recently surveyed classified roads. Generic claims will struggle.
What works in yours
- ✗ AMBER condition — 31% of B/C roads flagged amber, green down 11 points since 2020
- ✗ 525km of U-roads on a four-year condition survey cycle
- ✗ Reactive maintenance peaked at 34% in 2024/25 as capital spend hit a five-year low
- ✗ 14,282 pothole repairs in five years — defects form between inspections
- ✗ Council admits temporary repairs and documented climate risks including Ironbridge Gorge
The winning strategy here is specificity
Against a council with a GREEN spend scorecard, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (MyTelford, 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 four-year survey cycle is your strongest structural argument
- • Whether the repair at your location was documented as temporary
- • Location relative to known flooding or ground stability risk areas
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Telford and Wrekin's own transparency data where it helps you.
Report the pothole to Telford and Wrekin first
Reporting 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. Telford and Wrekin inspects all reported defects and aims to repair dangerous ones within one working day. Keep your reference number and any confirmation emails.
Report a pothole to Telford and Wrekin CouncilFor emergencies outside office hours (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm), call 03451 55 99 55.
Hit a pothole in Telford and Wrekin?
A well-funded AMBER 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 survey-cycle argument
- • No prior-report search
- • No 2024/25 reactive-spend context
Professional claim pack
- ✅ B/C amber roads at 31% documented
- ✅ Four-year U-road survey gap argued
- ✅ 14,282 pothole repairs in five years cited
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Telford and Wrekin
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently asked questions
Telford and Wrekin has a GREEN spend scorecard — can I still claim?
Yes. The DfT Spend scorecard is GREEN because the council projects £15.108m capital spend against a £13.108m DfT allocation in 2025/26. But Section 58 turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired — not on aggregate budgets. The overall and condition ratings are AMBER, and the council's own data shows B and C roads in green condition fell from 75% to 64% while amber roads rose to 31%.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
Unclassified roads make up 525km — 54.4% of Telford and Wrekin's 965km network. The council surveys only 25% of U-roads each year, delivering a full network survey over a four-year cycle. At the last five comparable surveys, 5–6% of U-roads were in RED condition. The survey gap is a structural argument under Section 58 if your road was not in the current year's 25% sample.
Does the 2021 switch from SCANNER to AEI surveys affect my claim?
It matters for comparability, not for liability. Telford and Wrekin moved to Annual Engineer Inspection surveys in 2021 and acknowledges AEI may show higher amber and red proportions than SCANNER. For your claim, focus on whether the council knew about the specific defect through safety inspections, reports or its own survey data on your road section.
Capital spend nearly halved in 2024/25 — does that weaken the council's defence?
It can help your case contextually. Total capital spend fell from £16.516m in 2020/21 to £7.893m in 2024/25, and reactive maintenance rose to 34% of spend that year. The council projects a rebound to £15.108m in 2025/26, but a year of reduced preventative investment coinciding with higher reactive share suggests defects were forming faster than structural renewal could keep pace.
The council sometimes uses temporary pothole repairs — does that help my claim?
It can. Telford and Wrekin's own pothole guidance states that most repairs are permanent, but if maintenance is planned later in the year or the road is due to be inspected, the repair may be temporary. A temporary patch on a road already flagged amber or red at the last survey suggests the underlying surface failure was known.
Do I need to report the pothole before claiming?
Reporting creates a dated council record — useful if the pothole was reported before your incident, or if the council failed to repair it within a reasonable time. Telford and Wrekin inspects all reported defects and aims to repair dangerous ones within one working day. Keep your reference number and any confirmation emails regardless of pothole size.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Telford and Wrekin Council — Annual Local Highway Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.