Local highways maintenance transparency report - Condition of local roads
Published: 12 May 2025
Road condition data for Classified Principal A roads and Classified Non-Principal B & C roads in England is currently collected using Surface Condition Assessment for the National Network of Roads (SCANNER) machine surveys employing laser-based technology.
A number of parameters measured in these surveys are used to produce a road condition indicator which is categorised into three condition bands.
- Red – Should be considered for maintenance
- Amber – Maintenance may be required soon
- Green – No further investigation or maintenance required
Road condition data for Unclassified roads in England is currently collected using Coarse Visual Inspections (CVI) surveys, undertaken by accredited inspectors to categorise coarse condition to identify a single condition band for Unclassified roads.
- Red – Should be considered for maintenance
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2.1% | 17.2% | 80.7% |
| 2021 | 1.9% | 17.2% | 80.9% |
| 2022 | 2.3% | 19.1% | 78.6% |
| 2023 | 2.1% | 18.4% | 79.5% |
| 2024 | 1.5% | 16.8% | 81.7% |
SCANNER surveys are carried out across 100% of the Classified Principal A road network in both directions over a 2-year period.
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.1% | 15.5% | 83.3% |
| 2021 | 1.7% | 17.4% | 80.9% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | 19.1% | 79.2% |
| 2023 | 1.1% | 16.8% | 82.1% |
| 2024 | 1.1% | 16.8% | 82.1% |
SCANNER surveys are carried out across 100% of the B and C road network in both directions over a 2-year period.
| Year | Red |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 20% |
| 2021 | 21% |
| 2022 | 23% |
| 2023 | 25% |
| 2024 | 26% |
CVI surveys are carried out annually across 100% of the Unclassified Road network over a 4-year period. 25% of the Unclassified Road network is surveyed each year.
From 2026/27 a new methodology will be used based on the BSI PAS2161 standard. Local Highway Authorities will be required to use a supplier that has been accredited against PAS2161. This new standard will categorise roads into five categories instead of three to help the government gain a more detailed understanding of road condition in England.
Find out more about the condition of local authority managed roads (RDC01).
The condition of Walsall Council’s classified road network has benefited significantly from the injection of additional funding over recent years because of two successful West Midlands and Department for Transport (DfT) Challenge Fund investment initiatives which secured an additional £5.2 million of government grant funding to improve the condition of many of the region’s most heavily trafficked roads.