Dorset | Posted on January 12th, 2026 | return to news

Dorset and Hampshire given ‘amber’ rating on road maintenance

New government ratings reveal how well local authorities are tackling potholes and investing taxpayers’ money.

Ahead of National Pothole Day on 15 January, the government has released a new ratings system grading how well councils and local highway authorities are doing at tackling potholes, maintaining roads and spending government money.

Local authorities are given a simple red, amber or green rating based on the area’s current road conditions and how effectively they are spending taxpayers’ money to fix potholes and invest in long-term road maintenance measures.

The government has provided £1.5 billion in funding across the South West to help council fix roads, and the ratings system is intended to educate drivers and hold local authorities accountable.

According to the new ratings, released today, Dorset, Hampshire and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) are all ranked as ‘amber’ indicating there is room for improvement in areas such as investing in long-term preventative measures rather than just patching up potholes, maintaining good road conditions and improving local roads.

Nearby areas including Gloucestershire and Wiltshire scored ‘green’, meaning they demonstrated best practice in these areas.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “For too long, drivers in the South West 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 in the South West with £1.5 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 local highway authorities 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.”

Drivers can visit a live interactive map to view each area’s rating: https://maps.dft.gov.uk/local-road-maintenance-ratings-map/index.html.

Areas rated red will receive dedicated support to bring them in line with best practices. And to incentivise road improvements, access to full future funding allocations will be linked to performance, ensuring local authorities are encouraged to get on with the job and use taxpayers’ money efficiently to repair and maintain their roads before potholes form.