Sandwell Council earns green rating for pothole repairs
It confirms its reputation as one of Britain’s best councils for road maintenance
Sandwell Council has earned a top green rating for pothole repairs, confirming its reputation as one of Britain’s best councils for road maintenance.
Drivers across England are now able to see how well their local authority is tackling potholes with the launch of a new traffic light rating system.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said a new mapping tool shows 154 local highway authorities rated as red, amber or green based on road conditions and how effectively they are spending the Government's road maintenance funding.
The vast majority of authorities are rated amber.
The DfT said red authorities will receive "dedicated support to bring them into line with best practices" through a Ă‚ÂŁ300,000 programme.
Other green authorities include Essex; Wiltshire; Coventry, West Midlands; Leeds, West Yorkshire; and Darlington, County Durham.
They demonstrated they are following "best practice" such as investing in long-term preventative measures rather than just patching up potholes, while also maintaining good road conditions, according to the DfT.
Commenting on the news that Sandwell Council receives top green rating for fixing potholes, Cllr Kerrie Carmichael, Leader of Sandwell Borough Council said:
"Under Labour, Sandwell has earned a reputation as one of the best councils in Britain for fixing potholes and this top green rating proves it.
"We're investing in cutting-edge equipment and preventative maintenance to fix potholes properly and stop them coming back, because residents deserve roads they can rely on. This top rating shows Labour delivery in action."
Total local road maintenance funding for England provided by the Government in the 2025/26 financial year was nearly Ă‚ÂŁ1.6 billion, representing a Ă‚ÂŁ500 million uplift compared with the previous 12 months.
A quarter of the extra money was withheld until the end of last year after authorities had set out their plans to spend it.
In November's budget, the Government committed to providing a total of Ă‚ÂŁ7.3 billion for local road maintenance funding for the four years up to and including 2029/30.
Common vehicle problems caused by potholes include damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels.
The RAC estimates a typical repair bill for a family car suffering pothole damage beyond a puncture is Ă‚ÂŁ590.
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 Ă‚ÂŁ7.3 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.
"This Government's record investment will save drivers money on repairs, make roads safer and help restore pride in our communities."