Source
Department for Transport — Local road maintenance ratings 2025 to 2026
amberOverall|amber Conditiongreen Spendamber Best Practice
Westminster: One Million Daytime Users on 339km of Road
Westminster supports the largest centre of employment in the UK, with a daytime population of over one million on a compact 339km network valued at approximately £3.6 billion. The council earns a GREEN spend scorecard and projects 84% preventative maintenance in 2025/26 — yet the DfT rates Westminster AMBER overall on condition and best practice.
285km
Unclassified roads — 84% of the network
Westminster's own 2024 survey data puts 6% of U-roads in RED condition — roughly 17km of residential streets where maintenance should be considered.
The Densest Highway Network in Britain
Scale and context from Westminster's own transparency report — published 25 June 2025
| Road class | Length (km) | Share of network |
|---|---|---|
| A-roads | 48 | 14.2% |
| B, C and D roads | 6 | 1.8% |
| U-roads (unclassified) | 285 | 84.1% |
| Total roads | 339 | 100% |
Westminster's report states the borough contains 40% of London's hotel beds, hosts government and national ceremonies, supports traffic entirely within a 20mph zone, and maintains 597km of footways, 75 highway structures and over 14,800 street lights alongside its 339km of carriageways. Highways are valued at approximately £3.6 billion — the council's largest public asset — yet the DfT still rates overall condition AMBER.
What the condition data shows
Five years of SCANNER survey data from Westminster's own transparency report — classified roads improving, U-road RED share edging up
A-roads (48km — 14.2% of network): improving
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 7% | 23% | 70% |
| 2021 | 3% | 24% | 73% |
| 2022 | 2% | 25% | 73% |
| 2023 | 5% | 23% | 73% |
| 2024 | 5% | 18% | 77% |
A-road RED share fell from 7% to 5% over five years, and green-condition A-roads rose from 70% to 77%. Westminster's busiest classified routes show genuine improvement in published survey data.
B and C roads (6km — 1.8% of network): improving
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 9% | 23% | 70% |
| 2021 | 4% | 18% | 78% |
| 2022 | 6% | 17% | 76% |
| 2023 | 7% | 16% | 76% |
| 2024 | 7% | 13% | 79% |
B and C roads are a tiny slice of Westminster — just 6km — but the trend is positive: green-condition share up from 70% to 79%, amber down from 23% to 13%.
U-roads (285km — 84% of network): RED share rising again
| Year | U-roads in RED condition |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 6% |
| 2021 | 4% |
| 2022 | 4% |
| 2023 | 5% |
| 2024 | 6% |
Westminster publishes only the RED percentage for U-roads — not amber or green splits. At 6% in 2024, roughly 17km of the borough's residential and estate streets sit in the category the council's own data defines as "should be considered for maintenance."
"From 2026/27 a new methodology will be used based on the BSI PAS2161 standard. Local Highway Authorities will be required to use a supplier that has been accredited against PAS2161. This new standard will categorise roads into five categories instead of three to help government gain a more detailed understanding of road condition in England."
— Westminster City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (25 June 2025)
Five years of spending — and a GREEN scorecard
Capital and revenue maintenance figures from Westminster's transparency report
| Year | DfT allocation | Capital spend | Revenue spend | Preventative | Reactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | N/A | £11,625k | £4,005k | 74% | 26% |
| 2021/22 | N/A | £7,143k | £3,394k | 68% | 32% |
| 2022/23 | N/A | £14,487k | £3,092k | 82% | 18% |
| 2023/24 | £161k | £20,223k | £3,717k | 84% | 16% |
| 2024/25 | £185k | £22,566k | £4,217k | 84% | 16% |
| 2025/26 (proj.) | £523k | £17,957k | £3,362k | 84% | 16% |
34 times the DfT allocation
£523k
DfT capital allocation 2025/26 (projected)
£17.957m
Projected capital spend 2025/26
84%
Estimated preventative share 2025/26
Westminster projects capital spend at roughly 34 times its DfT allocation in 2025/26 — and earned a GREEN spend scorecard. That makes aggregate underfunding arguments harder. Your claim still turns on the specific defect, not the council's overall chequebook.
"A formal process that enables visual, engineering and end user considerations to be used in a transparent, auditable and objective manner for the identification, assessment and prioritisation of highway maintenance needs."
— Westminster City Council — Value Management definition in Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
1,663 potholes filled in four years
Published pothole repair counts — a compact network that still produces hundreds of defects annually
| Year | Potholes filled |
|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 395 |
| 2022/23 | 387 |
| 2023/24 | 525 |
| 2024/25 | 356 |
| Four-year total | 1,663 |
Peak then pullback
Pothole fills peaked at 525 in 2023/24 — roughly 1.4 repairs every day — before falling to 356 in 2024/25. On a 339km network, that is still nearly one published pothole repair daily. Defects form between inspections even on a well-funded authority.
Beyond the pothole table
Westminster runs safety and service inspections simultaneously at risk-based frequencies determined by its Management Hierarchy. It has also introduced a Minor Works programme for clusters of defects to better utilise revenue budget. The published pothole count may not capture the full reactive workload.
Inspection, Value Management and planned works
How Westminster says it finds, ranks and treats defects — in its own words
"Our well-developed Value Management process combines the experience and expertise of our inspectorate team, independent DVI surveys in the footway and AI carriageway condition assessments. This information is then analysed with defect densities and street hierarchy profiles to ensure we are targeting those streets most in need of works on our PPM programme."
— Westminster City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (25 June 2025)
2025/26 carriageway programme
Westminster lists dozens of 2025/26 carriageway schemes with Value Management scores and costs — from Curzon Street (£42,000, VM 95.00) to Oliphant Street (£28,000, VM 29.00). Additional DfT funding brings forward Hobart Place (£139,000), Graham Terrace (£90,000), Great Titchfield Street (£196,000) and Inverness Terrace (£138,000). If your street was not listed, Westminster may argue it prioritised higher-scoring routes.
Streetworks coordination
Westminster assesses every statutory undertaker permit independently and reviews road closures for coordination opportunities. If your pothole formed near recent utility reinstatement, ask whether the council enforced streetworks compliance on that route.
Claiming against a well-funded AMBER council
Honest assessment: Westminster invests heavily and documents its processes — here's how that changes your approach
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ GREEN spend scorecard — projects £17.957m capital against £523k DfT allocation
- ✓ 84% preventative maintenance share in 2024/25 and 2025/26
- ✓ A-road green condition up from 70% to 77% since 2020
- ✓ B/C-road green condition up from 70% to 79%
- ✓ Documented WMHI-aligned Value Management and HMMS data
Expect a well-documented Section 58 defence on recently treated classified roads. Generic claims will struggle.
What works in yours
- ✗ AMBER condition — U-road RED share back at 6% after falling to 4%
- ✗ 84% of the network is U-roads where only RED percentages are published
- ✗ 525 pothole repairs in 2023/24 — defects still forming at scale
- ✗ AMBER best practice despite published HIAMP and VM framework
- ✗ PAS 2161 methodology change from 2026/27 may complicate historical comparisons
The winning strategy here is specificity
Against a council with GREEN spend and detailed asset management, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (FixMyStreet, council Report It) — 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 6% borough-wide RED rate and 285km network share are your structural arguments
- • Whether your street appeared on the 2025/26 PPM carriageway programme — and whether works happened in time
- • Proximity to recent streetworks or utility reinstatement
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Westminster's own transparency data where it helps you.
Report a pothole to Westminster
Reporting the defect creates a council record — useful evidence if you later claim for damage
Use the council's Report It service
Westminster City Council accepts highway defect reports through its Report It portal. Pin the location on a map, describe the problem and upload a photo. The council states it will investigate confirmed reports.
Report a pothole — Westminster Report ItWhy reporting helps your claim
- • Creates a dated council record of the defect before you submit a damage claim
- • A prior report can establish actual notice — weakening a Section 58 defence
- • Photos uploaded at report time document the defect's size and condition
- • Even if you already hit the pothole, reporting prevents the next driver being harmed
Westminster's transparency report describes safety inspections at risk-based frequencies — but inspections and reports are different. A report you or another road user filed is direct evidence the council knew about the defect.
Hit a pothole in Westminster?
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 U-road condition data cited
- • No prior-report search
- • No PPM programme cross-check
Professional claim pack
- ✅ 285km U-road network documented
- ✅ 1,663 four-year pothole repairs cited
- ✅ 34× DfT spend ratio referenced
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Westminster
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently asked questions
Westminster projects capital spend at 34 times its DfT allocation — can I still claim?
Yes. GREEN spend does not block a claim. Section 58 turns on whether the specific defect that damaged your vehicle was reasonably inspected and repaired — not on aggregate capital investment.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
U-roads are 285km — 84% of the network. Westminster's 2024 survey puts 6% of U-roads in RED condition, roughly 17km of residential streets that should be considered for maintenance.
Pothole repairs fell from 525 to 356 in 2024/25 — does that mean the roads are fixed?
No. Westminster still filled 356 potholes in 2024/25 and runs risk-based safety inspections plus a Minor Works programme for defect clusters. A lower table count does not prove your defect was repaired in time.
Why is best practice AMBER when Westminster publishes a HIAMP and Value Management process?
Published process and DfT scorecards measure different things. Focus your claim on the specific defect and inspection records around it, not policy documents alone.
Was my road on Westminster's 2025/26 planned carriageway programme?
Check the published programme in the transparency report. Listed streets had scheduled works and VM scores; unlisted streets may have been deprioritised — a relevant question for Section 58.
Does Westminster maintain every road in the borough?
No. Westminster's HIAMP excludes TfL-maintained and private roads. Check who maintains your road before you claim — red routes go to TfL, not the borough.
How long do I have to make a claim?
Three years from the incident under the Limitation Act 1980 — but claim within three months where possible while evidence is fresh.
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Westminster City Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (25 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 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.