The Government has again defended Bedford Borough Council’s “red” road maintenance rating, despite a formal complaint from the mayor arguing it is based on incorrect data.
The response from the Department for Transport (DfT) follows a letter from mayor Tom Wootton to roads minister Simon Lightwood, in which he called for the borough’s rating to be urgently reviewed.
Read: DfT refuses to say if Bedford’s corrected pothole data changes red rating
Mayor challenges rating
In his letter, the mayor said an “incorrect red flag” had been applied to Bedford on the DfT’s highways maintenance map.
He said the council had identified an error in the data originally submitted and provided corrected figures in early January 2026.
Read: Bedford Borough Council sent wrong data to DfT which led to ‘red’ pothole ranking
“It is therefore reasonable to expect that the Department would have corrected the scoring promptly,” he wrote.
“The fact that this has still not been resolved, despite the council’s swift action, has only intensified the reputational and operational impact on Bedford.”
The mayor also argued that the borough’s actual investment in roads, around £9.5 million, was significantly higher than reflected in the data used for the rating.
Government response unchanged
However, the DfT said the rating remains based on data submitted by the council itself and has not indicated any change to its position.
A spokesperson said the ratings are “a snapshot in time” based on information provided in highway maintenance transparency reports.
“It’s now up to Bedford Borough Council to get on with improving and maintaining its roads,” the spokesperson said.
“The ratings follow a clear, published methodology using data from official statistics and highways maintenance transparency reports that local authorities provided themselves.”
Read: Bedford among 13 worst authorities for fixing potholes
The department said Bedford’s rating was based on figures submitted as of 30 June 2025, including a planned £3.2 million investment in highway maintenance for 2025/26.
This compares with £6.3 million allocated to the council by the DfT for the same period.
Background to dispute
The latest exchange follows a series of developments reported by the Bedford Independent.
Bedford was previously listed among the worst-performing authorities for pothole repairs, prompting criticism from residents and intervention from Bedford and Kempston MP Mohammad Yasin, who described road conditions as “unacceptable”.
It later emerged that the council had submitted incorrect data to the DfT, contributing to the borough’s “red” rating.
Although corrected figures were subsequently provided, the DfT has previously declined to confirm whether this would lead to a revised classification.
According to the DfT, council data indicated plans to resurface 3.5 miles of carriageway, with around 120 miles of roads in the borough classed in the lowest condition category.
In his letter, the mayor said the council’s actual level of investment would equate to a significantly higher score under the department’s own methodology.
“The current classification is therefore inconsistent with the evidence and does not reflect Bedford’s actual performance or commitment to maintaining its network,” he wrote.
The DfT said it expects councils to provide accurate information in their transparency reports, particularly where funding is linked to the data.
Additional reporting by
John Guinn, Local Democracy Reporter
