Kirklees Council is ‘middle of the road’ when it comes to tackling potholes.
That’s the verdict of the Government which is publishing new red, amber and green ‘traffic light’ ratings to let the public see which local highway authorities are fixing potholes effectively.
Ahead of National Pothole Day on Thursday January 15, the Government has issued new ratings to grade local councils as red, amber or green based on current road condition and how effectively they fix potholes and invest in long-term road maintenance.
Kirklees Council is rated ‘amber’ overall meaning ‘room for improvement.’
The best performing councils who scored ‘green’ were able to prove they were following best practice and investing in long-term preventative measures, not just filling potholes.
The Government now requires councils to publish data about road maintenance and, according to Kirklees Council’s Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report, the council repaired 37,641 potholes in 2024-25, up from 33,539 in 2023-24 but well down on a high of 56,733 in 2021-22.
The report says: “The number of potholes Kirklees Highways Service repaired between 2020-21 and 2024-25 has fluctuated, peaking in 2021-22 before gradually declining.
“This trend aligns with the introduction of dedicated Asset Maintenance Technicians, who are responsible for highway safety inspections, co-ordinating reactive maintenance, and delivering early intervention works.
“Additionally, the Locality Based Unclassified Roads Programme, funded by Kirklees Council for the years 2021 to 2024, positively impacted the condition of unclassified roads, where most defects are reported.
“The decrease in potholes repaired reflects a drop in reported defects, rather than reduced activity. This would indicate fewer potholes are being identified.
“This highlights the effectiveness of earlier repair efforts and the benefits of targeted investment, leading to more stable and manageable maintenance demands.”
The report says Kirklees will spend around £20 million on road maintenance in 2025-26.
It also highlights two major reconstruction schemes including the widening and resurfacing of Bradley Mills Road behind the Accu Stadium in Huddersfield – costing £2 million – and a £3.8 million repair to the A6024 Woodhead Road at Holme Moss which was damaged after a landslip in 2021.
Kirklees Council’s own inspection of local roads show a deterioration in recent years.
In 2024 4.6% of the A-road network was rated ‘red’ meaning they “should be considered for maintenance.” That figure was almost double the 2.1% recorded in 2022.
While some 80% of A-roads were rated ‘green’ in 2022 – meaning “no further investigation or treatment required” – that figure had dropped to 71.5% in 2024.
Announcing the new traffic light rating for local councils, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “For too long drivers in Yorkshire and the Humber 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 Yorkshire and the Humber with £500 million 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.”
Bradley Mills Road set for major reconstruction works in Spring 2026
