Somerset finished 26th out of 153 local authorities
Daniel Mumby Local Democracy Reporter, Daniel Mumby and Local Democracy Reporter
05:03, 15 Jan 2026
Somerset's road network is among the best maintained in the mainland UK, according to a new league table published by the government.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has provided £1.5bn for local authorities across the south west to repair and improve damaged road – with councils needing to provide detailed reports of how and where the additional money has been spent.
The DfT published a new scoring system, allowing residents to compare how well their local council was performing when it comes to road maintenance.
Somerset Council ranked highly under this new system, securing an 'amber' rating and finishing 26th out of 153 local authorities – a score which the council has welcomed, despite some "confusing" elements.
The scoring system rates local councils on a traffic light system, based upon three factors: the condition of the roads (including A-, B-, C- and unclassified roads), best practice in terms of maintenance, and level of capital spend.
Authorities rated 'green' – such as Gloucestershire County Council and Wiltshire Council – have demonstrated they are following best practice, such as investing in more long-term preventative measures rather than just patching up potholes, while also maintaining good road conditions and investing significantly into improving local roads.
Authorities rated 'amber' (including Somerset Council, Devon County Council and Cornwall Council) showed some of these qualities with room for improvement in individual areas, while those rated 'red' (such as Slough Borough Council and Suffolk County Council) are not yet meeting the expected standards.
Somerset Council scored 'green' on both the condition of its road network and its wider best practice, but 'red' on its spending measure, giving it an overall 'amber' score.
This 'red' score on spending comes despite the council being on track to spend 98 per cent of its annual DfT capital funding allocation by the end of the current financial year.
In 2025/26, the council is scheduled to resurface just over 34 miles of road across Somerset, with nearly 115 miles being earmarked for preventative road treatments.
Of the nearly £50m provided by the DfT in 2025/26, around 89 per cent will be spent on preventative treatment of road – a rise from 80 per cent in 2024/25.
Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, said: "We are delighted to be scored among the top authorities in the country for road condition and the way we go about maintaining our roads.
"It underlines how important preventative work is in terms of stopping defects from forming and it shows our approach is successful.
"What is confusing is how we are graded for spend; despite being forecast to spend virtually all of our government allocation on preventative work, which is considered 'best practice' by the DfT, we score a 'red' category.
"The new report shows that, unlike many other authorities, we have managed to achieve a 'green' standard of road condition within the financial resources made available by the government, which demonstrates an exceptionally cost-effective service and value for money to the public purse."
To report a pothole or other issues with your local roads, visit www.somerset.gov.uk/roads-travel-and-parking/report-a-problem-on-the-road.
Mr Wilkins (who represents the Curry Rivel and Langport division) added: "We welcome the new transparency as it shows us as one of the most efficient authorities in the country.
"We know that there is much more to be done and we are committed to focusing our efforts on preventative work across Somerset to ensure the condition of our roads continue to vastly improve and remain amongst the best in the country."
Chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves MP announced in her budget in late-November 2025 that just over £7.3bn would be spent on local road maintenance by the end of 2029/30.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander MP 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 £1.5bn 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."