A new colour coded map that rates councils in England according to how well they are fixing local roads has been published by the Department for Transport (DfT).
The new ratings grade 154 local highway authorities (LHAs) based on current road condition and how effectively they are spending their share of the Government’s road maintenance funding.
The map means that for the first time, people can see how good or bad their local authority is at repairing potholes. Councils are rated green (good), amber (average) or red (poor).
Several councils, including Leeds, Essex, Wiltshire and Darlington were given a green rating, while 13 local authorities received a red rating. These included Bedford, West Northamptonshire, Suffolk, Leicestershire and Derbyshire.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said: “For too long, drivers 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 for local highway authorities with £7.3 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 councils are doing in delivering the improvements they want to see in their local area.”
To boost standards, local authorities with a red rating will receive dedicated support, backed by £300,000 worth of expert planning and capability assistance.
