England’s 154 local highway authorities have been given red–amber–green ratings by the Department for Transport, published on 11 January 2026 alongside an interactive map that allows residents to check performance by area. The ratings are intended to make maintenance activity visible and comparable across England.
The methodology uses three scorecards - condition, spend and best practice - which are combined into an overall rating. Eleven metrics feed those scorecards: surface condition on A, B/C and unclassified roads; planned capital maintenance as a proportion of the Highways Maintenance Block allocation; the balance of preventative versus reactive treatment; planned resurfacing on red‑rated sections; planned preventative treatment on amber/green sections; and evidence of innovation adoption, disruption minimisation, decarbonisation and maintenance of footways/cycleways. Numeric thresholds convert scores into red, amber or green.
The first national picture shows 16 authorities rated green, 125 amber and 13 red. Examples in the green group include Leeds, Manchester and Sandwell. Table notes flag a small number of cases where incomplete data affected scoring.
For 2025/26, the department withheld 25% of the £500 million uplift until every authority published a plain‑English transparency report and provided additional technical data, signed off by the political lead and the section 151 officer. Authorities meeting the requirements had the withheld quarter released in the year‑end settlement, with non‑compliant allocations redistributed.
From 2026/27 to 2029/30, £7.3 billion is available for local road maintenance through a four‑year settlement that continues conditionality. At least 25% of annual incentive funding in each year will depend on publishing transparency reports; in 2026/27, 50% of the incentive funding will be performance‑based, with further metrics potentially added later in the period.
Best practice within the rating system emphasises shifting spend towards preventative maintenance, scheduling resurfacing on red‑rated sections, applying surface treatments to preserve amber/green sections, and evidencing plans for innovation, disruption management, decarbonisation and resilience - alongside maintenance of walking and cycling infrastructure. Authorities demonstrating these practices, while maintaining network condition and investing significantly in their asset, tend to score green.
Red‑rated authorities will receive a dedicated support offer, including peer reviews and expert planning and capability assistance funded by the department (worth £300,000 in total). Ratings will be updated as authorities publish further information, and access to future allocations will reflect transparency and performance.
Government will extend the Live Labs 2 programme by a year, with up to £300,000 to help authorities access and adopt longer‑lasting, low‑carbon materials that reduce the frequency of disruptive works. Live Labs 2, a £30 million DfT‑funded programme delivered with ADEPT, runs to March 2026 with monitoring beyond that.
The public‑facing interactive map presents each authority’s overall rating and a colour‑coded picture of performance. London boroughs and the City of London are included; Transport for London’s overall rating is amber, though TfL itself is not plotted on the map.
Ministers link the approach to reducing costs borne by road users by prioritising prevention. RAC analysis indicates average pothole repair bills around £320, with some incidents exceeding £1,000. The ratings launch also sits alongside the government’s first Road Safety Strategy in over a decade, proposing consultations on mandatory eye tests for older drivers and a lower drink‑drive limit, with a 65% casualty‑reduction target by 2035.
Sector responses cited by the department include the AA and British Cycling endorsing clearer accountability and more permanent repairs, and the RAC welcoming longer‑term funding that enables preventative maintenance to be planned and delivered.
For highways directors and section 151 officers, the immediate tasks are operational as much as financial: keep transparency reports current; align planned capital maintenance with allocations; increase the share of preventative treatments; and document innovation, disruption management and decarbonisation plans. Strong performance on these elements supports a higher rating; falling short can reduce access to incentive funding over the four‑year period.