Opinion: How the government got it wrong classing Suffolk as red in new highways rating system

In a column for the East Anglian Daily Times, Councillor Paul West explains why Suffolk's maintenance of and investment in its highways infrastructure is much better than portrayed under a new Government rating system.

The issue of potholes is once again in the headlines following the Government’s new Highways Ratings “traffic light” system, which has unfairly put Suffolk in the firing line.

We welcome greater transparency - accurate assessments help reassure residents that their money is being spent wisely and fairly.

However, for transparency to be meaningful, the data on which it is based must be accurate.

When we met with Department for Transport (DfT) officials last week, it became clear that Suffolk was marked down into a red category because the DfT believes we did not spend all the funding allocated to us.

This is simply not correct and is why we have formally called on the DfT to correct this and change our status to amber.

The confusion arises because we brought forward £10 million from the current financial year into the previous year, allowing us to invest earlier in road maintenance after being advised that our funding allocation for this year would increase.

The overall rating is based on three components: road condition, best practice, and capital spend.

Over the last two financial years, Suffolk received £78.196 million in maintenance grant but spent £87.038 million on the network by adding significant additional funding from our own budget.

Over a five-year period, the same pattern holds true: Suffolk has consistently invested more in our roads than it has received from central government.

Suffolk’s rating for road condition was amber. Yet the DfT’s own published data shows road conditions in Suffolk have improved consistently since 2011 across every road classification.

Our A, B and C roads are rated green, performing at or above the national average. Just 3 per cent of Suffolk’s A roads are classed as being in poor condition, compared with around 4 per cent nationally.

On B and C roads, Suffolk performs better than the England average, with fewer roads in poor condition and a higher proportion in good condition, bucking a trend seen in many other authorities.

Unclassified roads are rated amber, but even here Suffolk performs better than the East of England regional average.

The best practice element of the assessment is also rated amber. Suffolk fully met the DfT’s criteria for asset management strategy, coordination of streetworks, and our approach to climate change, resilience and adaptation.

Taken together, these results show Suffolk performs on a par with our closest neighbours and compares favourably with much of the country.

Suffolk has carefully prioritised investment in our roads, even in the face of changing national funding.

We spend every penny allocated by the DfT on maintaining our highway assets and supplement this with additional funding from our own budget.

That said, I fully acknowledge that potholes remain a problem. As a motorist myself, I share the frustration people feel about the damage and disruption they can cause.

Suffolk Highways teams are working hard not only to repair potholes but also to prevent them from forming in the first place.

Through our preventative “find and fix” programme, including the use of the Dragon Patcher, we target emerging defects before they deteriorate.

There are defects that require immediate safety-critical repairs, but there are also smaller faults which, if left untreated, can rapidly worsen during the winter months. By sealing and repairing early, we aim to reduce the need for emergency repairs later.

Alongside this, we continue to deliver annual resurfacing and surface-dressing programmes.

Potholes will never be completely eradicated; road surfaces inevitably wear out and require ongoing maintenance.

However, we are using every resource available to us to maintain Suffolk’s roads to the highest possible standard.

Of course, there is always more that could be done, but we must work within the financial constraints we face.

As I have said, we welcome transparency. All we ask of the Government and the DfT is that they accurately reflect and acknowledge that Suffolk has both allocated and spent all the funding provided to us.