The Department for Transport (DfT) has graded local highway authorities across England, awarding them green, amber or red ratings based on the condition of their roads and how effectively they are judged to be spending a record national funding pot.
While potholes are a continual issue in the borough and across the country, Middlesbrough Council was one of only 16 nationally to receive a green rating.
More than 90% of work carried out in Middlesbrough is preventative, and the rating recognises our aim to fix problems early.
Over the past year, the equivalent of 12 miles of roads have been resurfaced and a borough-wide pothole patching programme has been delivered.
Mayor Chris Cooke said: “There’s always going to be wear and tear on busy roads, but I understand why people in Middlesbrough get so frustrated and annoyed by potholes.
“That’s why we have developed a strategy which focuses on spotting issues early and trying to maintain roads rather than wait for them to fail.
“This new system is a great way for residents to keep an eye on how we’re doing, and I’m delighted that the hard work of our dedicated staff has been acknowledged with a green rating.”
The new system has been published after the DfT confirmed a record, £7.3 billion multi-year investment to guarantee long-term funding certainty for local authorities.
This will allow councils to move away from expensive short-term fixes and instead invest in longer-term preventative measures.
“I’ve been making the case for Middlesbrough to receive more money from government throughout my time as mayor,” continued Mayor Cooke.
“We’re now starting to see those promises delivered, and I welcome the Department for Transport’s commitment to a long-term funding model which gives us certainty that we’ll have the resources we need to continue improving our roads.”
Roads and Buses Minister, Simon Lightwood, said: "For too long, motorists have been forced to pick up the tab for crumbling roads, paying out for repairs that should have been avoided.
"That’s why we’ve introduced a new national system to shine a light on how well councils are maintaining their roads, backed by billions in long-term funding, including £30m for the North East to fix roads next year and long-term certainty with £2.7bn of wider Transport for City Regions settlements to 2031-32.
"Middlesbrough’s green rating shows what can be achieved when councils focus on early intervention, preventative maintenance and good value for money."
On National Pothole Day (Thursday, January 15), Mayor Cooke and Cllr Peter Gavigan, Executive Member for Environment and Sustainability, joined staff from the council’s highways team as they worked to fill potholes in North Ormesby.
Cllr Gavigan said: “This is the kind of good work we’re completing week in, week out, right across Middlesbrough.
“No road network will ever be perfect, but we are now focused on using better materials and smarter maintenance to stop those small faults becoming big, expensive repairs.”
Middlesbrough Council recently published its Highways Maintenance Transparency Report, which sets out a wider schedule of road maintenance including renewing footpaths, replacing streetlights and traffic signals, extra gully cleaning and major investment in repairing and maintaining bridges, structures and main roads.
