New government ‘traffic light’ ratings reveal how South West councils are tackling potholes

Drivers across the South West can now see how effectively their local highway authority is dealing with potholes, following the launch of a new government traffic light rating system ahead of National Pothole Day on January 15.
The first-of-its-kind scheme grades local highway authorities (LHAs) as red, amber or green, based on the condition of their roads and how well they are using the Government’s record £1.5 billion funding to fix potholes and invest in long-term road maintenance.
Authorities rated green, including Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, demonstrated strong performance by maintaining good road conditions and investing in preventative measures rather than relying solely on short-term pothole repairs. Amber-rated councils, such as Devon, showed progress in some areas but were found to have room for improvement, while those rated red were judged not to be meeting expected standards in areas such as road condition, preventative planning or investment levels.
An interactive map showing the rating of every local highway authority has now gone live, with the aim of recognising best practice and encouraging improvements where standards are falling short.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “For too long drivers in the South West have paid the price because our roads were left to deteriorate. I have heard time and again their frustration on footing the bill because they hit a pothole – money they should never have to spend in the first place.
“We’ve put our money where our mouth is, increasing the funding in the South West with £1.5 billion to fix roads and given them the long-term certainty they have been asking for. Now it’s over to them to spend the money wisely, and for the first time we are making sure the public can see how well local highway authorities are doing in delivering the improvements they want to see in their local area.
“This Government’s record investment will save drivers money on repairs, make roads safer and help restore pride in our communities.”
The ratings come as part of a wider government push to improve local roads after years of calls from councils for long-term funding certainty. The £7.3 billion national investment in local road maintenance is intended to allow authorities to move away from costly short-term fixes and towards preventative maintenance, reducing disruption and saving drivers money. The average vehicle repair bill caused by potholes is around £320, with some motorists paying more than £1,000 last year.
To help raise standards, councils currently rated red will receive targeted support, including peer reviews and expert planning assistance worth around £300,000 in total. Future access to full funding allocations will also be linked to performance, creating an incentive for authorities to maintain and repair roads more effectively.
As part of the drive for transparency, 25% of a £500 million funding uplift this financial year was withheld until councils published reports showing how they comply with best practice. The £125 million was released at the end of last year after successful submissions.
The Government has also announced an extension of the Live Labs 2 programme for another year, providing up to £300,000 to help councils adopt innovative and longer-lasting, low-carbon materials to repair roads more efficiently and reduce future disruption.
The announcement comes in the same week the Government unveiled the first Road Safety Strategy in more than a decade, aimed at saving lives by tackling issues such as drink driving, improving training for young drivers and introducing mandatory eye tests for older motorists.
Edmund King, AA president and founding member of the Pothole Partnership, said: “The top transport demand for 96% of AA members is fixing potholes with increased investment in repairing and upgrading roads.
“We welcome this Government initiative to hold local highways authorities to account which should help to promote the Pothole Partnership objective of more proactive and permanent repairs.”
RAC head of policy Simon Williams added:
“These new ratings are a positive move that will help drivers understand how councils are performing when it comes to improving the state of local roads. While there are examples of good road maintenance practice taking place, this isn’t consistent across the country and means drivers have for too long been left with substandard roads.
“We hope this initiative, plus the promise of longer-term funding for councils to allow them to plan and carry out much-needed preventative maintenance, means we’re finally on the way to having smoother, better roads."