A new traffic light rating system has been rolled out to assess how effectively local highway authorities (LHAs) are fixing potholes and maintaining roads.

The red, amber, and green rating map developed by the Government is designed to ‘highlight best practice and drive improved performance from councils’ in their pothole repair and road maintenance efforts.

According to the Department for Transport (DfT), the system considers three main areas: local road conditions, the amount spent by LHAs on road repairs, and the extent to which LHAs are using best practice.

Following the Government’s £7.3bn investment in fixing potholes and boosting local road maintenance at the Budget, the ratings will determine whether LHAs are using the funding efficiently to deliver preventative, long-term solutions to road improvement.

Regions with green scores include Sandwell, Manchester, and Leeds, while areas such as North Yorkshire and Swindon scored amber.

Thirteen areas were rated red, including, Suffolk, Cumberland, and Derbyshire, rendering them eligible for a dedicated support programme that includes access to expert planning worth £300,000 to help LHAs apply best practice.

The Government has also committed to another year-long extension of the Live Labs 2 programme, as well as confirming that future funding allocations will be based on performance, motivating councils to ‘get on with the job and use taxpayer money efficiently’.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: ‘For too long drivers have paid the price because our roads were left to deteriorate’.

She added: ‘This Government’s record investment will save drivers money on repairs, make roads safer and help restore pride in our communities.’

Edmund King, AA president and founding member of the Pothole Partnership, said: ‘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: ‘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.’

For more on this topic, download your free copy of How to Fix Local Roads: Sustainable Road Maintenance Solutions for Local Government.