Brighton Council Invests £8.8m in Roads as It Disputes 'Worst in England' Claims
Brighton and Hove is committing £8.8 million to improve roads and pavements this year, rejecting recent headlines claiming the city has England's worst roads.
Investment in local roads
Brighton and Hove Council is putting £8.8 million into roads, pavements and transport infrastructure this year. The investment includes resurfacing work, pothole repairs, pavement improvements and upgraded infrastructure to make travel safer across the city.
The council said the spending reflects a shift in approach, moving from simply reacting to failed roads towards greater emphasis on prevention and maintenance.
Challenging the 'worst roads' narrative
Recent headlines claiming Brighton and Hove has the worst roads in England do not reflect the experience of residents seeing improvements on the ground, according to the council. The claims are based on a single measure: the condition of A-roads, which the council said does not tell the full story.
Brighton and Hove has used a more detailed approach to monitoring road condition for the past three years than many other authorities, identifying problems earlier and collecting more comprehensive information. If the council reported its data using the same SCANNER methodology used by many local authorities, the proportion of A-roads requiring structural repair would be around 8%, roughly in line with many other councils.
Local roads performing better
A-roads make up only a small part of the overall network. Around 79 per cent of Brighton and Hove's roads are unclassified local roads, accounting for some 482 kilometres of highway. These are the residential streets and neighbourhood routes residents use every day.
On these local roads, the picture differs significantly. Around 8 per cent of unclassified roads require structural maintenance, compared with a national average of approximately 14 per cent.
Acknowledging work still needed
The council acknowledges that roads and pavements across Brighton and Hove still need investment. A substantial backlog remains to be addressed following years of underinvestment nationwide. Residents have been right to raise concerns when they see problems.
The council said it has invested in better monitoring technology and developed a clearer understanding of road conditions across the city. This data-led approach means it can target investment where it will have the greatest impact.
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