Source
Department for Transport — Local road maintenance ratings 2025 to 2026
amberOverall|amber Conditiongreen Spendamber Best Practice
One in Five Tower Hamlets Roads Sits Beside a Building Site
Tower Hamlets earns a GREEN spend scorecard — projecting £6.9m capital spend against just £137,000 from the DfT — yet the overall rating is AMBER because the council admits 20% of its 219.6km network is within 100 metres of active construction, walked-survey condition on B, C and U-roads has declined since 2021, and pothole fills fell 61% to 307 in 2024/25 while structural data kept slipping.
20%
Of the network within 100m of construction
Tower Hamlets' own report links ongoing development traffic and utility openings to additional road damage — on England's most densely populated borough, where 154.4km of residential U-roads make up 70% of the carriageway network.
A Compact, High-Density Network
Tower Hamlets' own transparency report — 219.6km of carriageways in England's most densely populated borough
219.6km
Total carriageways
154.4km
U-roads (70.3% of network)
454.9km
Footways maintained
13.8km
A-roads (TfL AI-surveyed)
Two Survey Systems
A-roads on the Borough Principal Road Network are assessed by Transport for London using AI-led video surveys — introduced in 2022. B and C roads (51.4km) and U-roads (154.4km) are surveyed by independent consultants using walked engineering inspections.
Since 2023, walked surveys on local classified and unclassified roads happen every two years. Prior to 2022, they were undertaken every four years.
Beyond Carriageways
Tower Hamlets also maintains 69.7km of cycleways, 56 highway structures, 10,033 street lighting columns and 10,848 gullies — all subject to the risk-based hierarchy ratings and inspection regimes described in the council's July 2025 report.
What The Condition Data Shows
Survey data from Tower Hamlets' July 2025 transparency report — A-roads holding steady, local roads slipping
A-roads (13.8km — 6.3% of network): ~20% Poor or Very Poor, below London average
| Year | Very Poor | Poor | Fair | Good | Very Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Survey not carried out (Covid-19) | ||||
| 2021 | Survey not carried out (Covid-19) | ||||
| 2022 | 7.1% | 9.3% | 24.1% | 18.9% | 40.6% |
| 2023 | 6.6% | 14.4% | 26.9% | 19.0% | 33.1% |
| 2024 | 7.6% | 11.3% | 21.6% | 25.7% | 33.8% |
The council states average Poor and Very Poor A-roads have remained at approximately 20% since 2022 — lower than the London average of 29%. Credit where due on principal routes. But A-roads are just 13.8km of a 219.6km network.
B and C roads (51.4km — 23.4% of network): declining since 2021
| Year | Very Poor | Poor | Fair | Good | Very Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0.2% | 9.0% | 22.9% | 33.1% | 34.8% |
| 2024 | 1.6% | 10.2% | 23.9% | 29.5% | 34.8% |
Poor or Very Poor B/C roads rose from 9.2% to 11.8%, and Good plus Very Good fell from 68.0% to 64.3%. The council's own report states that since 2021, overall condition on classified non-principal roads has declined.
U-roads (154.4km — 70.3% of network): Poor and Very Poor share rising
| Year | Very Poor | Poor | Fair | Good | Very Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0.4% | 5.7% | 21.3% | 27.6% | 45.0% |
| 2024 | 1.8% | 9.0% | 20.2% | 30.1% | 39.0% |
Poor or Very Poor U-roads climbed from 6.1% to 10.8% — roughly 16.7km of residential streets where the council defines maintenance as required. Very Good share fell from 45.0% to 39.0%. This is where most pothole claims originate.
"Since 2021, the overall condition of our classified non-principal (Figure 3) and unclassified roads (Figure 4) has declined. This highlights the need for additional highway maintenance to improve the overall condition of our roads."
— London Borough of Tower Hamlets Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (July 2025)
"Poor: Moderate to severe deterioration, maintenance will be required. Very Poor: Severe deterioration, maintenance will be required."
— London Borough of Tower Hamlets Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (July 2025)
GREEN Spend — AMBER Condition
£137k
DfT capital allocation 2025/26
£6.9m
Projected capital spend 2025/26
78%
Estimated preventative share
Tower Hamlets projects spending more than fifty times its DfT capital allocation — with £3.379m revenue on top — yet walked-survey condition on local roads is still declining. The DfT Condition scorecard is AMBER. Money is flowing. Measured road condition on B, C and U-roads is not keeping pace.
The 154.4km Where Most Claims Happen
Seven in ten carriageway kilometres are unclassified residential roads — walked surveys every two years since 2023
| Road class | Length (km) | Share of network | Survey method |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-roads (Principal) | 13.8 | 6.3% | TfL AI survey (annual) |
| B and C roads | 51.4 | 23.4% | Walked engineering survey |
| U-roads (Unclassified) | 154.4 | 70.3% | Walked engineering survey |
The Biennial Walked Survey Gap
Since 2023, walked condition surveys on B, C and U-roads happen every two years. Prior to 2022, the cycle was every four years. The council notes that recorded condition is a snapshot in time and can vary along a road's length — including at bus stops and utility repair patches.
If your incident fell in a year without a walked survey for your road class, the council cannot point to contemporaneous network-level condition data — though safety inspections and public reports may still apply.
Risk-Based Hierarchy
Tower Hamlets assigns each highway section a hierarchy risk rating based on vehicular, pedestrian and cyclist volumes, transport hubs, emergency access, schools and event venues. That rating determines inspection frequency and defect response times — meaning quieter residential streets may receive less frequent planned attention than main corridors.
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 Tower Hamlets' residential network, ask:
- • When was your U-road last walked-surveyed — and was it a survey year?
- • If Poor or Very Poor U-road share rose from 6.1% to 10.8%, what was done about your street?
- • Does your road's hierarchy rating explain why a visible defect was not prioritised?
- • Were there prior public reports of the same defect before your incident?
A council cannot claim detailed knowledge of 154.4km of residential roads from a biennial walked snapshot — especially where its own charts show condition sliding.
2,432 Potholes in Four Years — Then a 61% Drop
Estimated potholes filled from Tower Hamlets' own transparency report — reactive counts vs structural condition
| Year | Potholes filled (estimated) |
|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 653 |
| 2022/23 | 695 |
| 2023/24 | 777 |
| 2024/25 | 307 |
| Four-year total | 2,432 |
The 2024/25 Plunge
Pothole fills fell from 777 to 307 — a 61% drop — while walked-survey condition on B, C and U-roads continued to decline. The council expects to fix approximately 600 potholes in 2025/26 based on historical trends. Reactive repair volume and structural condition are not telling the same story.
Risk-Based Pothole Response
Tower Hamlets applies a risk-based approach to assess pothole severity and impact, then prioritises repairs accordingly. Not every depression in the road surface receives the same response time — which makes prior reports, photos showing defect age, and proof the pothole met intervention thresholds critical for your claim.
Construction, Density and Heavier Traffic
Tower Hamlets' own explanation for accelerated wear — in its own words
"Construction & Utility Openings: 20% of our highway network is currently within 100 metres of on-going construction and development. This causes additional damage on our roads through increased construction traffic and utility openings to connect services."
— London Borough of Tower Hamlets Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (July 2025)
"Buses & Electric Vehicles (EVs): In recent years, there has been a significant increase of the number of electric vehicles and buses. They are significantly heavier than their non-electric equivalents, which puts more stress on road surfaces and substructures."
— London Borough of Tower Hamlets Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (July 2025)
"Tower Hamlets has the highest population density out of all the Local Authorities in England. As a result, we face several growing challenges which impact the condition of our highway network, highlighting the need for on-going investment."
— London Borough of Tower Hamlets Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (July 2025)
Monthly Streetworks Coordination
The council holds monthly coordination meetings with statutory undertakers, highway contractors and private developers — using a forward works pipeline mapping tool to plan activities and manage disruption. Resurfacing works may be brought forward or delayed when utility works clash.
If your pothole formed after utility excavations or near an active development site, reinstatement quality and coordination records may be relevant to your claim.
Questions Worth Asking
- • Was your road within 100 metres of ongoing construction when the defect formed?
- • Did utility openings precede the pothole — and was reinstatement inspected?
- • Did the council increase inspection frequency on construction-affected corridors?
- • Is the defect on a bus route subject to heavier EV and bus loading?
2025/26 Planned Programme
Tower Hamlets' forward plan for 2025/26, from the council's July 2025 report:
- • Resurfacing 11.2 kilometres of roads
- • Reconstructing 8.0 kilometres of footways
- • Conducting 20 principal and general bridge and structure inspections
- • Upgrading and replacing 600 street lighting columns
- • Expecting to fix approximately 600 potholes based on historical trends
78% of the highways budget is planned for preventative works; 22% for reactive defect response. On a 219.6km network where walked surveys show local roads declining, 11.2km of resurfacing is selective — not comprehensive.
Five Years of Spending
Capital and revenue figures from Tower Hamlets' transparency report — DfT allocation vs actual spend
| Year | DfT capital (£,000s) | Capital spend (£,000s) | Revenue spend (£,000s) | Resurfaced (km) | Preventative | Reactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | £0 | £8,238 | £2,707 | 10.1 | 84% | 16% |
| 2021/22 | £0 | £10,408 | £2,973 | 7.3 | 86% | 14% |
| 2022/23 | £0 | £7,804 | £3,808 | 9.9 | 76% | 24% |
| 2023/24 | £0 | £5,369 | £3,529 | 5.8 | 75% | 25% |
| 2024/25 | £137 | £7,074 | £3,467 | 11.0 | 78% | 22% |
| 2025/26 | £137 | £6,900 | £3,379 | 11.2 | 78% | 22% |
"Since 2021, the number of residents satisfied with the service has increased by 29%, from 2021 to 67%, demonstrating the positive impacts of sustained highway investment and the visible improvement in roads across the borough."
— London Borough of Tower Hamlets Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (July 2025)
Claiming Against a Well-Funded AMBER Council
Honest assessment: Tower Hamlets invests heavily — here's how that changes your approach
What Works In The Council's Favour
- ✓ GREEN spend scorecard — capital spend far exceeds DfT allocation
- ✓ 75–86% of spend classed as preventative across five years
- ✓ A-road Poor/Very Poor share ~20% — below London's 29% average
- ✓ Documented risk-based asset management aligned to the Code of Practice
- ✓ Resident satisfaction with maintenance rose to 67%
- ✓ Warm mix asphalt and carbon management strategy in place
Expect a documented Section 58 defence on A-roads and recently resurfaced routes. Generic claims will struggle.
What Works In Yours
- ✗ AMBER condition — B, C and U-road walked-survey data declining since 2021
- ✗ U-road Poor/Very Poor share up from 6.1% to 10.8% (2021 to 2024)
- ✗ 70.3% of network on U-roads surveyed only every two years since 2023
- ✗ 20% of network within 100m of construction — council's own wear admission
- ✗ 2,432 potholes filled in four years — defects still forming reactively
- ✗ AMBER best practice scorecard — investment modelling and benchmarking still developing
The Winning Strategy Here Is Specificity
Against a council with GREEN spend and a documented hierarchy-based inspection regime, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (FixMyStreet, Tower Hamlets street problem 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, cite the 10.8% Poor/Very Poor rate and biennial survey gap
- • Proximity to construction sites or recent utility excavations within 100 metres
- • Whether your incident fell between walked survey years for B, C or U-roads
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Tower Hamlets' own transparency data where it helps you.
Report The Pothole Before You Claim
Tower Hamlets identifies and prioritises pothole repairs using a risk-based approach — and public reports are part of how defects enter the system. If you have not already reported the pothole that damaged your vehicle, do so now. A prior report timestamped before your incident is among the strongest evidence of actual notice for a Section 58 rebuttal.
Report a street problem to Tower HamletsIncludes potholes, footway hazards, flooding and faulty street lights. Login optional — required only to track report progress.
Hit a Pothole in Tower Hamlets?
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 biennial survey-gap argument
- • No construction-proximity analysis
- • No prior-report search
Professional Claim Pack
- ✅ U-road decline since 2021 documented
- ✅ 20% construction-proximity admission cited
- ✅ 2,432 potholes in four years referenced
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Tower Hamlets
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tower Hamlets spends fifty times its DfT capital allocation — can I still claim?
Yes. The DfT Spend scorecard is GREEN — projected capital spend of £6.9m in 2025/26 against a £137,000 DfT allocation, with 78% classed as preventative. But the DfT Condition scorecard is AMBER, and Tower Hamlets' own walked surveys show B, C and U-road condition declining since 2021. Section 58 turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired, not on aggregate spend.
What if my pothole was on a residential street in Tower Hamlets?
U-roads make up 154.4km — 70.3% of the borough's 219.6km carriageway network. At the 2024 walked survey, 10.8% of U-roads were rated Poor or Very Poor (maintenance required), up from 6.1% in 2021. Since 2023, B and C roads and U-roads are condition-surveyed every two years by walked engineering inspection — so there may be no network-level survey reading for your road class in alternate years.
Pothole repairs fell 61% in 2024/25 — does that mean the roads are fixed?
No. Tower Hamlets filled an estimated 307 potholes in 2024/25, down from 777 in 2023/24 — while the council's own charts show B, C and U-road condition declining since 2021. The council expects to fix approximately 600 potholes in 2025/26 based on historical trends. Reactive counts fluctuate year to year; structural condition data tells the longer story.
Does the 20% construction-proximity admission help my claim?
It can. Tower Hamlets states that 20% of its highway network is currently within 100 metres of ongoing construction and development, causing additional damage through increased construction traffic and utility openings. That is documented knowledge of elevated wear on specific corridors — which raises the bar for what a "reasonable" inspection regime looks like on affected routes under Section 58.
A-roads are surveyed by TfL AI — does that weaken claims on main roads?
You should expect a stronger Section 58 defence on A-roads. TfL's AI-led surveys show approximately 20% of Tower Hamlets A-roads in Poor or Very Poor condition since 2022 — below the London average of 29%. But your claim still turns on whether the specific defect was identified and repaired within reasonable timeframes, not on borough-wide averages. No A-road surveys were undertaken in 2020 or 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Does rising resident satisfaction weaken my pothole claim?
Not directly. Tower Hamlets reports resident satisfaction with road and pavement maintenance rose 29 percentage points since 2021, reaching 67% — which the council attributes to visible investment. Perception surveys and structural condition data measure different things. The same report shows walked-survey condition on B, C and U-roads declining since 2021. Your claim lives on the specific defect, prior reports and photos — not on satisfaction scores.
How do I report a pothole to Tower Hamlets before claiming?
Tower Hamlets accepts reports of potholes and other street problems through its online "Report a street problem" form — including location details and a description of the defect. You do not need to log in, though an account lets you track progress. Prior reports through the council's system or FixMyStreet are direct evidence of actual notice, which matters when the council relies on Section 58 of the Highways Act 1980.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | London Borough of Tower Hamlets Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (July 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.