County Council Defends Suffolk's Poor Pothole Ranking

Drivers are being warned that Suffolk’s pothole problem is among the worst in the country.

A new government traffic-light system now rates councils as red, amber or green on how well they maintain roads. The ratings, published after a recent funding announcement, look at pothole repairs and long-term maintenance, letting residents see how their local authority compares.

For the first time, people across Suffolk can check how their local highway authority is performing, after the Government introduced a new traffic-light rating system for road maintenance. The scheme grades all 154 local highway authorities in England as red, amber or green.

Responding to the publication of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) traffic light system for highways maintenance, a spokesperson for Suffolk Highways said:

 “This new traffic light assessment system rates Suffolk as amber on road condition and following best practice, but red on spending money - resulting in an overall red rating.

“However, councils weren’t told about the new system until Friday and we believe there are unfortunate inaccuracies in the data so will be raising this with the DFT on Monday.

“All highways maintenance funding received from the Government is fully invested in Suffolk’s highways network, including fixing potholes and resurfacing roads. This is why Suffolk has continued to receive all of the funding it expected this year, including incentive fund elements linked to performance.”

A full breakdown of future regional road maintenance funding is also available as part of the announcement which can be found here.

The ratings are based on how effectively councils are fixing potholes, resurfacing roads and investing in longer-term preventative maintenance to keep road networks in good condition. Drivers in areas such as Thorpeness are now able to see at a glance how their council compares with others across the country by using an interactive map published alongside the data.

The system follows a government funding commitment of £7.3 billion over the next four years, aimed at giving councils more certainty to plan repairs. Ministers say the goal is to reduce the need for short-term patching and instead focus on preventing road damage before it becomes serious.

Potholes remain a major concern for motorists, with the average repair bill after hitting one estimated at £320. Some drivers have reported repair costs running into four-figure sums.

By publishing the ratings, the Government says it wants to increase transparency and encourage councils to improve road conditions in their area. Residents are being encouraged to check the map to see how their local authority has been assessed and how it measures up nationally.