New analysis of local authority data has identified the UK areas with the worst road surfaces, revealing significant regional disparities in highway maintenance and infrastructure quality. West Northamptonshire, which covers towns including Northampton, Daventry, and Towcester, topped the list for the country’s worst overall road surfaces, with a final score of 47.13.
Top 10 UK areas with the worst road surfaces
| Rank | Local authority | A roads red | A roads amber | B & C roads red | B & C roads amber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Northamptonshire | 5% | 71% | 17.5% | 72.5% |
| 2 | Derbyshire | 20.4% | 44% | 27% | 47.6% |
| 3 | North Northamptonshire | 3% | 71% | 10% | 82% |
| 4 | Bristol, City of | 8.8% | 63.2% | 10% | 74.6% |
| 5 | Southend-on-Sea | 12.6% | 47% | 19.8% | 51.8% |
| 6 | Bath and Northeast Somerset | 5% | 56% | 17% | 60.5% |
| 7 | Bradford | 6.67% | 62.67% | 9.33% | 63% |
| 8 | Liverpool | 9.8% | 45.2% | 15% | 54.75% |
| 9 | Cheshire West and Chester | 1% | 64.8% | 4.4% | 72.4% |
| 10 | Westminster | 4% | 32% | 16.5% | 71.5% |
West Northamptonshire has the worst B and C roads in the country, with fewer than 10% rated as being in good condition. The council has committed to a substantial £100 million capital investment for the 2025 and 2026 period, rising to £155 million over the next 4 years, of which approximately £14.6 million is allocated specifically for road maintenance. Plans include completing 6.79 km of micro-asphalt and 13.2 km of surface dressing as part of its carriageway preventative maintenance approach. A further 1.4 km of carriageway will be resurfaced, two structures repaired, and minor maintenance carried out on three more bridges and structures.
Derbyshire, in second place, recorded the highest proportion of A roads rated red anywhere in the UK, at 20.4%. Derbyshire County Council has committed £41 million to road maintenance for 2025 and 2026, of which around £24 million is allocated to repair schemes targeting key routes. Initiatives include a £3.6 million surface-dressing programme at 57 sites, micro-asphalt repairs to 79 residential roads costing £930,000, and patching work at 111 sites.
North Northamptonshire Council allocated around £14 million for highway maintenance in 2024 and 2025, including micro-asphalt treatment on more than 8 km and surface dressing on approximately 10 km, while operating dedicated teams aiming to fix more than 1,000 potholes each week.
Bristol City Council allocated more than £23 million for road maintenance in 2024 and 2025, while Southend-on-Sea allocated approximately £8.5 million for highway maintenance during the same period.
Westminster’s appearance in the top 10 proved surprising given that it is one of the wealthiest London boroughs, with its B and C roads faring considerably worse than its A roads.
On the other end of the spectrum, Sunderland has the best roads, with a score of 7.30, where 87.6% of A roads and 85.4% of B and C roads are rated green. Middlesbrough has the second-best roads, while Leeds ranks third.
Ashley Wing, CMO of Re-flow Field Management, commented on the findings: “These results show a concerning picture of the UK’s road infrastructure, with significant regional disparities in road quality. What’s particularly worrying is seeing areas like Westminster in the top 10, showing that even wealthy boroughs aren’t immune to road maintenance issues.”
“What jumped out was that West Northamptonshire has fewer than 10% of its B and C roads in good condition. For residents driving on those routes every day, that is a shocking statistic.”
“These findings come at a crucial time when local authorities are making difficult budget decisions. Our 2024 Construction Report highlights how digital systems can help road maintenance teams work more efficiently, prioritising repairs and managing resources better through improved visibility between site and office operations.”