Trafford: 24.5% Preventative Spend, RED Best Practice
Trafford Council outspends its DfT capital allocation and earns a GREEN spend scorecard. Yet the DfT rates its best practice RED — because Trafford's own transparency report shows just 24.5% preventative maintenance in 2024/25, 15% of 656km unclassified roads in RED condition on a three-year survey cycle, and 12,841 pothole repairs in five years.
Why Best Practice Is RED
The DfT's best practice scorecard is Trafford's weakest rating — and the council's own spending table explains why
| Year | DfT allocation | Capital spend | Revenue spend | Preventative* | Reactive** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | £2.32m | £4.23m | £2.44m | 18.68% | 36.58% |
| 2021/22 | £2.91m | £4.21m | £2.50m | 15.22% | 37.22% |
| 2022/23 | £2.91m | £8.24m | £2.58m | 36.42% | 23.84% |
| 2023/24 | £3.28m | £7.54m | £2.78m | 39.13% | 26.91% |
| 2024/25 | £2.91m | £4.59m | £2.91m | 24.49% | 38.75% |
| 2025/26 (proj.) | £2.91m | £3.79m | £3.00m | 31.65% | 44.81% |
* Percentage of overall capital expenditure on highway preventative maintenance as defined by the DfT. ** Percentage spent on reactive maintenance as a figure of total capital and revenue spending combined.
The Reactive Tilt
Preventative spend collapsed from 39.13% in 2023/24 to 24.49% in 2024/25 — while reactive maintenance rose to 38.75%. The 2025/26 projection shows reactive at 44.81% and preventative still under one-third. That is exactly the patch-first pattern the DfT's best practice scorecard penalises.
GREEN Spend, Different Story
Capital spend exceeded the DfT allocation in every published year — peaking at £8.24m in 2022/23 against a £2.91m allocation. The council is not underfunded in aggregate. The question is how the money is deployed — and the report's own split answers that.
“As part of our reactive repair maintenance spending, we expect there to be in excess of 2500 pothole repairs during this financial year.”
— Trafford Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
What The Condition Data Shows
Five years of SCANNER and CVI survey data from Trafford's own transparency report
The network (826.067km total roads)
Four-fifths of Trafford's carriageway network is unclassified — dense urban residential and estate roads where most pothole damage claims originate.
A-roads (75.3km): broadly stable
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4.3% | 26.2% | 69.5% |
| 2021 | 3.4% | 24.3% | 72.3% |
| 2022 | 6.7% | 25.3% | 68.1% |
| 2023 | 4.8% | 24.3% | 70.9% |
| 2024 | 5.9% | 26.7% | 67.3% |
A-roads on the Greater Manchester Key Route Network are surveyed annually in both directions via SCANNER. Green condition has slipped from 72.3% to 67.3% since 2021.
B and C roads (94.6km): RED rising
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4% | 27.8% | 68.2% |
| 2021 | 3% | 21.5% | 75.5% |
| 2022 | 5% | 23.7% | 71.3% |
| 2023 | 5% | 25% | 70% |
| 2024 | 6% | 27% | 67% |
RED-condition B/C roads are up 50% since 2020 (4% → 6%), and good-condition roads have fallen from 68.2% to 67%. A third of the B/C network is now amber or red.
“Over the last 5 years, we have managed to maintain A Roads, which are primarily part of the Greater Manchester Key Route Network, in a good condition, keeping the lengths of road in each condition band similar over that same period.”
— Trafford Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
The 656km Three-Year Blind Spot
79% of the network surveyed on a three-year cycle — with no amber category at all
| Year | U-roads in RED condition |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Not measured — COVID |
| 2021 | Not measured — COVID |
| 2022 | 16% |
| 2023 | 14% |
| 2024 | 15% |
“The unclassified road network makes up over 650km (400 miles), making up over 79% of the borough's road network.”
— Trafford Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
“The cost & time required to survey the entire network is prohibitive, therefore we survey these roads over a 3 year cycle, within the areas listed below.”
— Trafford Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
North, Central, South
Trafford divides its U-road network into three areas and surveys one third each year via Coarse Visual Inspections (CVI). Unlike SCANNER on classified roads, CVI surveys produce only two categories — red and green — with no amber band for roads approaching failure.
At 15% RED in 2024, roughly 98km of residential roads should be considered for maintenance — on a network where your street may not have been condition-surveyed for up to two years.
The COVID Gap
No unclassified road surveys were conducted in 2020 or 2021. For incidents in those years, there is no network-level U-road condition data at all — on the road class that makes up 79% of the borough.
The council identifies roads near the “tipping point” into RED locally, but that is a discretionary overlay — not the published network survey your claim can cite.
Why This Matters For Section 58
To rely on the Section 58 defence, Trafford must show it had a reasonable system for knowing the condition of its roads. For the unclassified network, ask:
- • Which third of the borough was surveyed in the year of your incident — North, Central or South?
- • If 15% of U-roads were RED at the last survey, what was done about yours?
- • How does a three-year CVI cycle catch defects that form between surveys?
- • Why is preventative spend under 25% while U-road RED condition holds at 14–16%?
A council rated RED on best practice cannot credibly claim a preventative, well-managed highways regime — especially on roads it only condition-surveys every three years.
12,841 Potholes in Five Years
Actual repair counts from Trafford's transparency report — a reactive maintenance programme
| Year | Potholes filled (actual) |
|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 2,059 |
| 2021/22 | 2,855 |
| 2022 to 2024* | 2,471 |
| 2023/24 | 2,497 |
| 2024/25 | 2,959 |
| Five-year total | 12,841 |
* Year label reproduced exactly as published in the council's transparency report (likely intended as 2022/23).
~8 Potholes a Day
Averaged over five years, Trafford fills around eight potholes per day. The council expects over 2,500 reactive repairs in 2025/26 alone — while planning just 2km of resurfacing and 3½km of surface treatment. Patching outpaces prevention.
Since April 2020
The report states Trafford has resurfaced or reconstructed over 20km of roads and given 100km surface dressing — alongside 12,841 pothole fills. Reactive repairs and preventative treatments are running in parallel, not replacing each other.
How Trafford Checks Its Roads
SCANNER on classified roads, CVI on residential streets — and a national standard change coming
SCANNER (A, B and C roads)
Vehicle-mounted digital surveys cover the entire A, B and C network in both directions each year. Defects are categorised into red, amber and green bands. A-roads are primarily on the Greater Manchester Key Route Network.
B/C roads in RED rose from 4% to 6% over five years despite annual SCANNER coverage — evidence that surveying alone does not prevent deterioration when preventative spend is under 25%.
CVI (unclassified roads)
Two-person survey vans carry out Coarse Visual Inspections on one third of U-roads per year across North, Central and South zones. CVI produces only red and green categories — no amber for roads approaching failure.
Footways are surveyed separately via Footway Network Surveys on a five-year cycle across five borough areas — a further blind spot for pavement claims.
PAS 2161 From 2026/27
From 2026 to 2027, local highway authorities must use suppliers accredited against PAS 2161, expanding condition categories from three to five. Until then, the RED/amber/green data in Trafford's published report — and the two-tier CVI system on U-roads — is what governs your claim.
“A robust asset management approach ensures we direct limited funding to where it is needed most, making sure we achieve maximum effectiveness in maintaining the A roads.”
— Trafford Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2025
Claiming Against a GREEN-Spend, RED-Practice Council
Honest assessment: Trafford invests well — but invests reactively
What Works In The Council's Favour
- ✓ GREEN spend scorecard — capital exceeds DfT allocation in every published year
- ✓ A-road condition broadly stable over five years of annual SCANNER surveys
- ✓ Published HIAMP framework — 20km+ resurfaced and 100km surface-treated since April 2020
Expect a documented Section 58 defence on A-roads with annual SCANNER data. Generic claims will struggle on main routes.
What Works In Yours
- ✗ RED best practice — preventative spend just 24.49% in 2024/25
- ✗ 656km U-road network on a three-year CVI survey cycle
- ✗ 15% of U-roads in RED — roughly 98km of residential streets
- ✗ B/C roads in RED up 50% since 2020 (4% → 6%)
- ✗ 12,841 pothole fills in five years on a predominantly reactive programme
The Winning Strategy Here Is Specificity
Against a council with GREEN spend but RED best practice, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (FixMyStreet, One Trafford 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 three-year survey cycle is your strongest structural argument
- • Whether your incident fell in 2020 or 2021 when no U-road condition surveys were published
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Trafford's own transparency data — including the RED best practice admission — where it helps you.
Hit a Pothole in Trafford?
A RED-rated best-practice 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 argument
- • No RED best practice citation
- • No prior-report search
Professional Claim Pack
- ✅ RED best practice and 24.5% preventative spend cited
- ✅ Three-year U-road survey gap argued
- ✅ 12,841 pothole fills in five years documented
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Trafford
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Trafford spends more than its DfT allocation — can I still claim?
Yes. The DfT Spend scorecard is GREEN, but your claim turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired under Section 58 — not on aggregate spending. Trafford's overall rating is AMBER because condition is AMBER and best practice is RED: preventative maintenance was just 24.49% of capital spend in 2024/25, B and C roads in RED rose from 4% to 6%, and 15% of unclassified roads remain in RED condition.
What does Trafford's RED best practice rating mean for my claim?
The DfT best practice scorecard measures preventative maintenance, treatment of deteriorating roads, and adoption of efficient repair methods. Trafford's own report shows preventative spend at 24.49% in 2024/25 and a projected 31.65% in 2025/26 — well below the levels associated with GREEN-rated authorities. That is an official admission the council is running a predominantly reactive programme, which strengthens arguments that defects can form and worsen between inspections.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
U-roads make up 656.195km — 79% of Trafford's 826km network. The council surveys unclassified roads on a three-year cycle across North, Central and South areas because “the cost & time required to survey the entire network is prohibitive.” At the 2024 survey, 15% of U-roads were in RED condition — roughly 98km of residential streets. If your road was not in the surveyed third that year, network-level condition data may not cover it.
Trafford filled fewer than 3,000 potholes in 2024/25 — does that weaken my claim?
No — it is evidence of a reactive repair culture, not road health. Trafford filled 2,959 potholes in 2024/25 and expects “in excess of 2500 pothole repairs” in 2025/26, while B and C roads in RED rose from 4% in 2020 to 6% in 2024 and U-road RED condition has sat at 14–16% since surveys resumed. Fewer filled potholes alongside rising RED percentages suggests defects are being patched, not prevented.
Were U-road condition surveys conducted during COVID?
No. Trafford's transparency report states that no unclassified road surveys were conducted during COVID restriction years in 2020 and 2021. For incidents on residential roads in those years, there is no published network-level U-road condition data at all — on the road class that makes up 79% of the borough's 826km network.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Trafford Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (July 2025). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.