Potholes put on the map as councils are rated on road repairs

New map reveals how a record amount of funding is being used

- by David McLean

Drivers across England are 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.

Among those classified as red are Cumberland, Cumbria; Bolton, Greater Manchester; Leicestershire; Suffolk; and Kensington and Chelsea, west London.

The DfT said red authorities will receive "dedicated support to bring them into line with best practices" through a £300,000 programme.

Green authorities include Essex; Wiltshire; Coventry, West Midlands; Leeds 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.