Source
Department for Transport — Local road maintenance ratings 2025 to 2026
redOverall|red Conditionamber Spendred Best Practice
DfT caveat: The Department for Transport flags that Waltham Forest's 2025/26 overall, condition and best-practice scorecards are based on incomplete road condition data.
5,756 Pothole Repairs in 2023/24 on a Triple-RED Scorecard
London Borough of Waltham Forest maintains 451 km of roads, 84% unclassified residential routes. Its June 2025 transparency report records 5,756 estimated pothole fills in 2023/24 — up 109% from 2,755 in 2021/22 — while carriageway resurfacing fell from 10.29 km to a planned 6.155 km. The DfT rates the borough RED on overall performance, condition and best practice, with spend AMBER. Section 58 still turns on your specific defect.
+109%
Pothole fills at the 2023/24 peak
From 2,755 in 2021/22 to 5,756 in 2023/24 — while the council continued to report a 60/40 preventative-to-reactive spend split and the DfT assigned RED scorecards.
What the DfT scorecards actually show
Four separate ratings — not a single headline — from the 2025/26 local road maintenance release
| Scorecard | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall | red |
| Condition | red |
| Spend | amber |
| Wider best practice | red |
What RED means: Waltham Forest is one of 13 authorities in England with an overall RED rating for 2025/26 — indicating systematic underperformance against DfT benchmarks on condition, spend efficiency and/or maintenance practice, not an isolated pothole.
Why spend is AMBER, not GREEN: Projected 2025/26 capital spend (£686,000) matches the DfT allocation after four years of £0 allocations — recovery, not over-investment. Aggregate spend does not prove the individual defect that damaged your vehicle was inspected and repaired in time.
Data caveat: The DfT notes Waltham Forest's overall, condition and best-practice scorecards reflect incomplete road condition data. The council's transparency report confirms B, C and U-road wholesale surveys run on a 7–10-year cycle, with published B/C/U RAG percentages from the 2020 Gaist survey only. Do not treat network tables as proof of your street's condition on the day of your incident.
Source: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026
451 km of Roads — Mostly Unclassified
Network scale from Waltham Forest's June 2025 transparency report — where pothole claims actually happen
451 km
Total carriageway
378 km
Unclassified (U) roads
84% of the network
59 km
A roads
Surveyed annually (Vaisala)
14 km
B and C roads
7–10-year survey cycle
| Asset | Scale |
|---|---|
| Footways | 727 km |
| Public rights of way | 15 km (estimated) |
| Cycleways | 38 km (estimated) |
| Highway gullies | ~23,000 (2-year cleansing cycle) |
| Structures (bridges, culverts, subways, etc.) | 100+ managed assets |
“Wholesale condition survey data capture is carried out on a 7–10-year basis for B, C and U roads.”
— London Borough of Waltham Forest Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
What published condition data shows — and what it omits
A-road surveys are annual; B, C and U-road RAG percentages in the report date from 2020
Survey-date caveat: Principal-road percentages come from Vaisala surveys carried out by Metis. B, C and U-road percentages shown below are from the Gaist survey carried out in 2020, with no updated RAG breakdown published for those classes in the June 2025 report. The DfT's incomplete-data flag reflects this gap.
A roads (59 km) — surveyed annually
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 16.93% | 16.5% | 66.06% |
| 2023 | 25.31% | 26.62% | 47.59% |
| 2024 | 19.06% | 23.68% | 56.85% |
A-road RED condition peaked at 25.31% in 2023 before easing to 19.06% in 2024 — but A-roads are only 13% of the carriageway network.
B, C and U roads — last published RAG data from 2020
B and C roads (14 km) — Gaist 2020
Red 17.24% · Amber 50.44% · Green 32.32%
U roads (378 km) — Gaist 2020
Red 18.14% (amber/green not separately tabulated in report)
Eighty-four per cent of Waltham Forest's carriageway network has no published condition update since 2020 — on roads surveyed only once per decade at wholesale level.
“We recognise that by taking an asset management-based approach to its highway asset maintenance, investment can be targeted on long term planned activities that prevent expensive short-term repairs.”
— London Borough of Waltham Forest Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
Rising pothole fill counts
Estimated potholes filled — from the council's June 2025 transparency report
| Year | Potholes filled | Change vs 2021/22 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 2,755 | Baseline |
| 2022/23 | 3,315 | +20.3% |
| 2023/24 | 5,756 | +108.9% |
| 2024/25 | 4,385 | +59.2% |
| 2025/26 (projected) | 4,000–5,000 | Council estimate |
“This will include the repair of potholes which, on an annual basis, we spend at least £100,000 a year from the reactive maintenance budget. In 2024/25 this spend was £120,000.”
— London Borough of Waltham Forest Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
£27 per fill — council arithmetic
£120,000 reactive pothole spend divided by 4,385 estimated fills in 2024/25 equals roughly £27 per repair. That is the council's own implied unit cost — evidence of patch volume at scale, not on its own proof your specific defect was negligently handled.
60% prevention on paper — resurfacing down 40%
Spending split and carriageway kilometres resurfaced — June 2025 transparency report
| Year | DfT capital (£) | Capital spend (£) | Revenue spend (£) | Preventative | Reactive | km resurfaced |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (proj.) | 686,000 | 686,000 | 4,100,000 | 60% | 40% | 6.155* |
| 2024/25 | 211,000 | 211,000 | 4,100,000 | 60% | 40% | 6.855 |
| 2023/24 | 0 | 0 | 4,100,000 | 60% | 40% | 5.982 |
| 2022/23 | 0 | 200,000 | 4,100,000 | 60% | 40% | 7.085 |
| 2021/22 | 0 | 0 | 3,900,000 | 60% | 40% | 7.047 |
| 2020/21 | 0 | 200,000 | 3,750,000 | 60% | 40% | 10.290 |
*2025/26 carriageway figure is the council's planned minimum (6.155 km), not actual outturn.
The 60/40 paradox
Preventative share has stayed at 60% every year in the report — yet pothole fills more than doubled and carriageway resurfacing fell 40% from the 2020/21 baseline. The DfT's RED condition and best-practice scorecards align with outcomes, not the ratio alone.
Coverage maths
At 6.155 km planned resurfacing against 451 km of carriageway, roughly 1.4% of the network would be treated in a single year — a full rotation would take about 73 years at that pace. The council also plans 2.72 km of footway resurfacing and expects 4,000–5,000 pothole fills in 2025/26.
Inspections, surveys and Section 58
How Waltham Forest says it knows network condition — and where gaps appear
Survey frequency
- • A roads: annual Vaisala condition survey (Metis)
- • B, C and U roads: wholesale Gaist-style capture every 7–10 years (last published RAG: 2020)
- • Gullies: ~23,000 assets on a programmed 2-year cleansing cycle
- • Structures: inspection and maintenance within the highways regime
Four years of £0 DfT capital allocation
From 2020/21 through 2023/24 the council received £0 DfT capital allocation in four of five years (with £200,000 capital spend in 2020/21 and 2022/23 from other sources). Funding resumed at £211,000 in 2024/25 and £686,000 projected for 2025/26 — context for the resurfacing decline, not a substitute for defect-specific evidence.
Section 41 vs Section 58
Under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, Waltham Forest must maintain public highways. To defend a claim under Section 58, it must show a reasonable system for inspecting and repairing the specific defect — not just publish a 60/40 budget split.
- • Was your road on the 7–10-year B/C/U survey cycle — and had it been surveyed since 2020?
- • Did the defect meet intervention criteria during routine safety inspections?
- • Were there prior reports (FixMyStreet, council portal) giving actual notice?
- • Does photographic evidence show defect age beyond the council's stated repair timescales?
A RED overall scorecard plus surging pothole counts and stale U-road condition data give you structural arguments — but your claim still lives or dies on the specific pothole that damaged your vehicle.
Claiming against a RED-rated borough
Honest assessment: Waltham Forest is not Hillingdon — here is how the evidence breaks
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ Spend scorecard AMBER — capital allocation and spend now aligned at £686,000 for 2025/26
- ✓ Documented asset-management policy and HIAMP framework
- ✓ A-road green-rated share recovered to 56.85% in 2024 after the 2023 spike
- ✓ Stated repair prioritisation — 24 hours for highest-risk potholes
Expect the council to cite policy documents and repair logs. Generic outrage will not substitute for defect-specific proof.
What works in yours
- ✗ RED overall, condition and best-practice DfT scorecards
- ✗ DfT incomplete-condition-data flag on those scorecards
- ✗ 378 km of U-roads — 84% of network — with 2020 condition data only
- ✗ 5,756 pothole fills in 2023/24 — 109% above 2021/22 baseline
- ✗ Carriageway resurfacing down 40% since 2020/21 despite 60% preventative split
- ✗ Four years of £0 DfT capital allocation before 2024/25 recovery
The winning strategy here is specificity plus official failure data
Against a triple-RED borough, combine DfT scorecards and council transparency figures with your specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole — proof of actual notice beyond decade-old survey data
- • Photos showing defect size, depth and visible age (weathered edges, previous patching)
- • Road class — on a U-road, the 7–10-year survey gap and 2020 RAG snapshot are your strongest structural arguments
- • Whether the council can produce inspection records for your street, not just borough-wide averages
Fixtyer builds exactly this case: prior-report search, photo assessment, and citations from Waltham Forest's own June 2025 transparency data and the DfT RED scorecards where they help you.
Report a pothole to Waltham Forest Council
Reporting a defect creates a record the council had notice. The council requires a pothole report before processing a damage claim. Do this before claiming — and tell us when you reported it so we can reference it in your pack.
Report a highways problem — portal.walthamforest.gov.ukHit a pothole in Waltham Forest?
A triple-RED scorecard demands a precise claim. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No DfT incomplete-data citation
- • No 7–10-year U-road survey-gap argument
- • No prior-report search
Professional claim pack
- ✅ Triple-RED DfT scorecards documented
- ✅ 5,756 pothole peak and 109% rise cited
- ✅ 40% resurfacing decline shown
- ✅ 2020 U-road condition gap exposed
- ✅ Prior reports searched and Section 58 rebuttal tailored
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently asked questions
Does Waltham Forest's RED DfT rating guarantee my claim will succeed?
No. A RED scorecard is not automatic compensation — but it is official Department for Transport evidence that the borough's maintenance programme is failing against national benchmarks. Combined with the council's own pothole volumes, resurfacing decline and 7–10-year survey cycle on B, C and U roads, it undermines a generic Section 58 defence that the network was reasonably maintained.
The council reports 60% preventative maintenance — why did pothole repairs still more than double?
Waltham Forest's June 2025 transparency report shows a consistent 60/40 preventative-to-reactive split since 2020/21. Yet estimated pothole fills rose from 2,755 in 2021/22 to 5,756 in 2023/24 (+109%) while carriageway resurfacing fell from 10.29 km in 2020/21 to a planned 6.155 km in 2025/26. The DfT rates condition, overall performance and best practice RED. Whatever the council counts as prevention, the published outcomes show reactive workload surging.
The DfT flags incomplete condition data for Waltham Forest — does that help my claim?
It can. The Department for Transport notes that Waltham Forest's 2025/26 overall, condition and best-practice scorecards are based on incomplete road condition data. The council's own report publishes Gaist survey results for B, C and U roads from 2020 only — with wholesale condition capture on a 7–10-year cycle — while A-road percentages come from annual Vaisala surveys. On a residential U-road, the council's published condition evidence may not reflect your street today.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
Unclassified roads make up 378 km — 84% of Waltham Forest's 451 km carriageway network. The council's last published U-road RED-condition figure is 18.14% from the 2020 Gaist survey, with no updated RAG breakdown since. If your incident was on a U-road, ask whether the council had current condition data, routine safety inspection records, or prior reports for that location — not just network-wide averages.
2024/25 pothole repairs (4,385) were lower than 2023/24 (5,756) — is the problem fixed?
Partial reduction only. 4,385 repairs remain 59% above the 2021/22 baseline of 2,755. The council projects 4,000–5,000 pothole fills for 2025/26 — treating an elevated failure rate as normal. The DfT overall rating remains RED across condition, best practice and aggregate performance.
Why does £120,000 of reactive pothole spending matter for a claim?
The council states it spends at least £100,000 a year from the reactive maintenance budget on pothole repairs; in 2024/25 that spend was £120,000 against 4,385 estimated fills — roughly £27 per repair. That is the council's own arithmetic, not proof of negligence on its own — but it shows patching at scale while resurfacing kilometres fell 40% since 2020/21. Your claim still turns on the specific defect, prior notice and inspection records.
How do I report a pothole to Waltham Forest Council?
Report potholes and surface defects via the council's Highways Report service at portal.walthamforest.gov.uk, or the dedicated pothole form at walthamforest.gov.uk. The council states high-risk potholes are targeted within 24 hours, lesser-risk within seven days, and others within six weeks. Prior reports strengthen a claim by demonstrating notice before your incident. Fixtyer searches for existing reports and attaches them to your claim pack.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | London Borough of Waltham Forest Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 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 RED; condition RED; spend AMBER; best practice RED.
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.