Torbay: 58% more potholes filled on a deteriorating network
Torbay Council's own transparency report records a 58.1% rise in potholes filled between 2021/22 and 2024/25 — from 2,878 to 4,552 — while describing a progressively deteriorating network. The DfT rates overall maintenance AMBER with GREEN condition, but SCANNER data shows B and C roads in RED condition climbed from 5.3% to 8.7% since 2020 on a 576km network where estate roads make up 79% of all carriageways.
What the condition data shows
Five years of SCANNER survey data from Torbay's own transparency report — classified roads slipping even as the DfT awards a GREEN condition scorecard
A-roads (55km — 9.5% of network): slipping in 2024
Torbay's strategic A380 and A385 corridors link Devon to the national network. After four years of stable condition, 2024 brought the sharpest deterioration on record — green A-roads fell nearly five percentage points in a single survey year.
B and C roads (63.5km — 11% of network): declining steadily
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5.3% | 33.2% | 61.4% |
| 2021 | 5.3% | 33.2% | 61.4% |
| 2022 | 5.4% | 33.1% | 61.4% |
| 2023 | 6.4% | 32.3% | 61.2% |
| 2024 | 8.7% | 31.4% | 59.9% |
B and C roads in RED condition are up 64% since 2020 (5.3% → 8.7%), and good-condition roads have fallen from 61.4% to 59.9%. More than 40% of Torbay's classified local roads now need — or will soon need — maintenance.
GREEN condition, AMBER spend
Torbay's capital spend tracks its DfT allocation closely — not the overspend pattern of better-funded authorities — while reactive maintenance has climbed from 24% to a projected 28%. On a network valued at over £700 million, the 2025/26 plan treats just 9.7km of carriageway structurally (2.4km resurface, 7.3km thin overlay or surface dress, 0.4km reconstruction) against 576km of roads.
The 457.5km estate road majority
79% of Torbay's network is unclassified roads — surveyed selectively, not comprehensively
| Year | U-roads in RED condition (SCANNER route) |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 4.13% |
| 2021 | 4.13% |
| 2022 | 5% |
| 2023 | 5% |
| 2024 | 3% |
The selective survey route
Torbay commissions annual UKPMS SCANNER surveys through SWISCo and WDM on a predetermined route covering the classified network and the highest maintenance hierarchy unclassified roads — not every estate street. The U Class network is predominantly estate roads, with some strategic routes to wards and trading estates.
If your pothole was on a residential estate road outside the SCANNER hierarchy, the published U-road RED percentages may not reflect the condition of your specific carriageway.
The RoadMetrics AI assessment
SWISCo has commissioned RoadMetrics AI for a two-year assessment of the full U Class network using artificial intelligence survey methods, adopting PAS2161 and consulting the DfT on the emerging data standard. From 2026/27, PAS2161 will replace the current three-category SCANNER system nationally.
This parallel survey is still in progress. Until it completes, estate road condition knowledge rests on cyclic safety inspections and public reports — not comprehensive laser survey data.
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 Torbay's estate network, ask:
- • Was your road on the SCANNER survey route or only covered by driven safety inspections?
- • If 5% of surveyed U-roads were RED in 2022/23, what was done about defects on yours?
- • Does twice-yearly inspection actually cover every estate road, or only carriageway categories in the hierarchy?
- • Has the 2024 risk-based inspection overhaul changed response times for your road class?
A council cannot claim detailed network knowledge from a selective SCANNER route covering a fraction of its 457.5km of estate roads.
14,974 potholes in four years
The scale of reactive repair tells you how many defects this network produces
| Year | Potholes filled | Year-on-year change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 2,878 | Baseline |
| 2022/23 | 3,303 | +14.7% |
| 2023/24 | 4,241 | +28.3% |
| 2024/25 | 4,552 | +7.0% |
| Four-year total | 14,974 | +58.1% overall |
The council expects the trend to continue
Torbay states that due to a deteriorating asset, it will be consistently increasing the amount of potholes and defects it attends to. It projects at least 4,870 pothole repairs in 2025/26 — a further 7% rise. A network producing defects at this rate is one where potholes routinely form between inspections.
Right first time — in theory
Torbay's 2025/26 strategy centres on a ‘right first time’ approach through SWISCo, with new excavation equipment intended to produce more permanent patching and fewer reactive temporary repairs. The council is investigating whether this reduces re-attendance rates. Until those results are published, the rising pothole count is the measurable reality.
The deteriorating network admission
Torbay's own explanation for rising repairs and reconstruction — in its own words
“Due to rising costs and a progressively deteriorating network, there has been an increase in reconstruction and resurfacing projects. Thin overlay sites are now mainly focused on refreshing entire estates and areas with the highest skid resistance risks.”
— Torbay Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025/2026
“We estimate that due to a deteriorating asset, we will be consistently increasing the amount of 'potholes and defects we attend to, however with the introduction of new methods of excavation with the new equipment, we believe that we will be undertaking more patching and less reactive temporary repairs.”
— Torbay Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025/2026
What this admission means
Torbay formally acknowledges its highway asset is progressively deteriorating and that pothole attendances will keep rising. That is documented knowledge of an elevated defect-formation rate across the network — not an isolated bad winter.
Knowledge of accelerating deterioration raises the standard for what a ‘reasonable’ inspection and repair regime looks like under Section 58, particularly on estate roads where structural treatment is concentrated on entire-area thin overlay schemes.
The 2024 inspection overhaul
Torbay overhauled its Highway Safety Inspection Manual in 2024, moving fully to a risk-based approach aligned with Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure guidance. The stated aim is fewer site re-attendances and defects addressed correctly the first time.
If your incident post-dates the overhaul, the council may cite the new manual. If your pothole was reported under the prior regime and left unrepaired, the earlier inspection criteria and response times remain directly relevant to your claim.
Claiming against a GREEN-condition AMBER council
Honest assessment: Torbay is not failing on every metric — here is how that changes your approach
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ GREEN condition scorecard at network aggregate level
- ✓ Documented asset management policy and 2024 risk-based inspection manual
- ✓ Twice-yearly highway inspections across the network
- ✓ 72–76% of spend classed as preventative over recent years
- ✓ U-road RED on SCANNER route fell to 3% in 2024
Expect a structured Section 58 defence citing inspection frequency and asset management policy. Generic claims will struggle.
What works in yours
- ✗ B and C roads in RED up 64% since 2020 (5.3% → 8.7%)
- ✗ A-road condition sharply worse in 2024 — green fell from 77.4% to 72.5%
- ✗ 58.1% rise in potholes filled with further increases projected
- ✗ Council admits a progressively deteriorating network
- ✗ 79% estate road network surveyed selectively, not comprehensively
- ✗ Reactive maintenance share rising to a projected 28%
The winning strategy here is specificity
Against a council with a GREEN condition scorecard and documented inspection policy, 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 estate U-road, the selective SCANNER gap is your strongest structural argument
- • Whether the location falls under Torbay-only or shared Devon maintenance responsibility
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Torbay's own transparency data where it helps you.
Report the pothole to Torbay first
Torbay's highway maintenance guidance states it cannot be everywhere every day and relies on public reports to supplement cyclic inspections. All reports are inspected within five working days. Reporting creates a dated record — useful evidence if the pothole was reported before your incident, or if SWISCo failed to repair it within a reasonable time.
Report a pothole to Torbay CouncilFor emergencies call 01803 207720 (office hours) or 01803 701310 (24 hours). Keep your reference number and any confirmation.
Hit a pothole in Torbay?
A GREEN-condition council still demands a precise claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No estate-road survey-gap argument
- • No prior-report search
- • No deteriorating-network admission cited
Professional claim pack
- ✅ 58.1% pothole rise and B/C decline documented
- ✅ Selective U-road SCANNER gap argued
- ✅ 14,974 four-year repair total cited
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Torbay
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently asked questions
The DfT rates Torbay GREEN for condition — can I still claim?
Yes. The DfT Condition scorecard is GREEN at network level, but Torbay's own SCANNER data shows B and C roads in RED condition rose from 5.3% in 2020 to 8.7% in 2024, and A-road RED rose from 2.6% to 3.9% in the same period. Section 58 turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired — not on an aggregate scorecard that can mask local deterioration.
What if my pothole was on an estate or residential road?
Unclassified roads make up 457.5km — 79% of Torbay's 576km network — and are predominantly estate roads. SCANNER surveys cover only the highest maintenance hierarchy U-roads, not the full estate network. SWISCo has commissioned a separate two-year RoadMetrics AI assessment of U-roads using PAS2161 methodology. If your road was outside the SCANNER route, network-level condition data may not exist for it.
Torbay inspects every road twice a year — does that block Section 58?
Not automatically. Torbay states each part of the highway will be inspected at least twice per year, and reports defects within five working days. But the council also admits a progressively deteriorating network and expects pothole attendances to keep rising. Twice-yearly driven inspections do not guarantee every defect is caught — especially on a network where reactive repairs climbed 58.1% in four years. Prior reports and photographic evidence of defect age remain decisive.
Does Torbay's 2024 risk-based inspection overhaul affect my claim?
It may help or hinder depending on timing. Torbay overhauled its Highway Safety Inspection Manual in 2024, moving to a fully risk-based approach aligned with Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure guidance. If your incident occurred after the change, the council may argue its new system was reasonable. If the pothole was reported before the overhaul and not repaired, or if the defect predates the new criteria, the prior inspection regime and response times are still relevant.
Why did pothole repairs rise 58.1% while condition is rated GREEN?
Torbay filled 2,878 potholes in 2021/22 and 4,552 in 2024/25 — a 58.1% increase the council publishes itself. It simultaneously describes a progressively deteriorating network and projects at least 4,870 pothole repairs in 2025/26. Rising reactive workload on a network valued at over £700 million suggests defects are forming faster than structural renewal can keep pace, even where aggregate SCANNER scores remain acceptable.
Who maintains the dual carriageway between Paignton, Brixham and Torquay?
Torbay's transparency report states maintenance responsibility for the high-speed dual carriageway between the South Devon Link Road and the eastern and western corridors linking Paignton and Brixham to Torquay is shared with Devon County Council. If your damage was on that section, establish which authority had maintenance duty at the precise location before submitting a claim.
Do I need to report the pothole before claiming?
Torbay's highway maintenance guidance states it inspects all reports within five working days and encourages residents to report defects it cannot catch on cyclic inspections alone. Reporting creates a dated council record — useful if the pothole was reported before your incident, or if SWISCo failed to repair it within a reasonable time. Keep your reference number and any confirmation.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Torbay Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025/2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.