AROUND one in every 17 miles of main road in Brighton and Hove needs repairing, figures suggest.

Council-run roads across the country were surveyed in the 12 months to March 2021 and classed as "red" if they should be considered for maintenance.

Figures from the Department of Transport (DfT) show six per cent of A roads in Brighton and Hove were put in this worst category – down from eight per cent in 2019-20.

And four per cent of B and C roads were also in need of work.

Brighton and Hove City Council said the council is “constantly working towards” sustaining and improving its performance in the annual survey.

The proportion of A roads in need of repair is above the average across England, where one in every 25 miles is in poor condition.

The examinations are largely done using scanner machines, which identify sections of road worn by use or affected by ruts, bumps or potholes. However, the DfT said a different method was used in Brighton and Hove, which means the area should not be directly compared to others.

The DfT said the proportion of roads in the red category is “stable” following a slight increase during 2019-20, but there has been no change since 2015-16.

A recent AA survey indicated that nine out of 10 drivers want the Government to heavily invest in fixing local roads.

The DfT figures suggest the smallest roads in England are in an even worse condition than classified ones, with one in every six miles in the "red" category.

In Brighton and Hove, 13 per cent of unclassified roads were in need of maintenance in 2020-21 – down from 16 per cent a year previously.

The RAC said it is "hugely concerning" how many smaller roads are earmarked for maintenance, as unclassified roads in more rural areas tend to have worse safety records.

Nicholas Lyes, RAC head of roads policy, said: “We had hoped that the fact so few people were using the roads last year because of the pandemic would have given councils a golden opportunity to catch up on much-needed road repairs.

“Sadly, this data appears to show there’s still a huge amount to be done.”

In a statement, a spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: “We are one of a number of councils nationally that have achieved a good overall rating in the Department for Transport’s annual assessment of performance in managing and maintaining roads.

“Our figures for A roads are broadly in line with neighbouring authorities such as Surrey (seven per cent) and West Sussex (five per cent).

“There is a national backlog of road maintenance, but we prioritise investment in our roads.

“The overall condition of A roads in our city has actually improved over the last three years.

“And once major developments such as Lewes Road and Valley Gardens are finished we will be able to make even more improvements.”

Have you got a story for us? Email news@theargus.co.uk or contact us here.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news.

Sign up to our newsletter to get updates sent straight to your inbox.

You can also call us on 01273 021 400.