West Northamptonshire has been identified as the UK area with the poorest road condition in an analysis of Department for Transport data by field management software company Re-flow Field Management.
The study examined the proportion of roads given a red status, indicating poor surfaces that may require immediate maintenance. West Northamptonshire recorded an overall score of 47.13.
Condition of major and local routes
Across the area’s A roads and motorways, 24.5% were rated green, 71% amber and 5% red. Amber indicates significant wear and a need for repairs.
Conditions were worse on B and C roads. Only 9.5% were rated green, while 72.5% were amber and 17.5% red. Re-flow’s analysis ranked West Northamptonshire as having the worst B and C roads in the country.
The area includes Northampton, Daventry and Towcester.
West Northamptonshire Council has committed £100m of capital investment for 2025/26, increasing to £155m over the following four years. About £14.6m of the budget is allocated to road maintenance.
Regional differences
Westminster also appeared among the 10 areas with the poorest results. Although 64% of its A roads were rated green, only 12% of its B and C roads achieved that status, while 16.5% were rated red.
Sunderland recorded the strongest results, with a score of 7.30. Some 87.6% of its A roads and motorways were rated green and 1% red. On B and C roads, 85.4% were green and 1% red.
Middlesbrough ranked second and Leeds third.
Ashley Wing, chief marketing officer at Re-flow Field Management, said the findings showed “significant regional disparities in road quality”. He added that West Northamptonshire having less than 10% of its B and C roads in good condition was “a shocking statistic” for residents using those routes every day.
Wing said digital systems could help maintenance teams prioritise repairs and manage resources more effectively by improving visibility between site and office operations.