The Government is being challenged by a Cumbrian council director over the way a traffic light ratings system showing how effective local authorities are at tackling potholes has been drawn up.
The system uses red, amber and green to map how local authorities are performing according to the condition of the roads, how much is spent and whether best practice is being used to fix poor road surfaces.
Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland councils highways were rated as red, the lowest category, but this is being challenged by the organisation that represents local authority directors working in highways, waste, recycling and planning departments.
Angela Jones is the president of the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport and is director of thriving places with Westmorland and Furness Council.
She is calling for clarity about the way the ratings were calculated and defended the work of councils in making up for a backlog of repairs.
She said: “We need to ensure the ratings fairly reflect genuine progress across different local authority areas – in the future, we believe local authorities should have the opportunity to verify data and clarify any factual questions before ratings are published, to ensure accuracy and build confidence in the system.
“While the £7.3 billion investment announced in the budget last year represents a step forward, it follows decades of underfunding that left local roads in a fragile state – it is just the start of what is needed to tackle the £17bn repair backlog that continues to grow.
“Road condition isn’t simply a measure of council performance – it reflects historic funding levels, traffic volumes, network size and weather impacts.”
As red rated authorities, both Cumbrian councils stand to receive dedicated support from central government to help systems along with £300,000-worth of expert planning and capability assistance.
The Government said a support programme would include peer reviews where sector experts will help improve processes and provide practical advice.
Last year Westmorland and Furness Council said it had earmarked £19.9 million to help fix potholes.
But the traffic light system has been supported by motoring organisations, British Cycling and a highways innovation group.
Kerry Winstanley, managing director of Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG), said: “The release of the national ratings provides a clear opportunity to target support and strengthen the local road network where it is most needed.
“For many years, highways authorities have worked hard to maintain roads despite declining budgets and resources and the ratings, released alongside record multi-year investment, will enable authorities to benefit from additional support and increase investment in preventative maintenance, while continuing collaborative work supported by LCRIG, including sharing best practices, adopting innovative solutions, and working towards a nationally green-rated road network.”
