Senior Hampshire County Council officers have criticised new government rankings on road maintenance, warning that councils are being unfairly compared and arguing that a top “green” rating could put vital funding at risk.

The comments were made at a recent council meeting after the Department for Transport (DfT) published a national map showing how well councils are maintaining their roads.

The ratings, which range from green to red, are linked to a £500 million funding pot and are meant to improve transparency and accountability.

Hampshire’s roads were given an overall amber rating, with a green rating for the current condition of local roads.

Council officers said the result was broadly fair but could be misleading if viewed without proper context.

Patrick Blogg, director of universal services, said the council was performing well despite long-standing pressures and a large maintenance backlog.

“We are performing well with the funding that we have,” he told councillors.

However, Mr Blogg said he did not fully agree with what the amber rating suggests, even though he accepted it reflects some of the challenges the council faces.

“The amber rating feels fair, given the backlog on maintenance, but we perform well in some other areas,” he said.

He also warned that a higher rating could give the wrong impression about the council’s need for funding.

“If it was green, it would be problematic for us. It would suggest that funding was no longer needed, when in reality that funding is essential.”

Mr Blogg added that while the council has achieved green ratings in some areas, the overall picture reflects years of underinvestment in the road network.

Assistant director Tim Lawton echoed those concerns, saying the publication of the ratings had come as a surprise.

He said: “That came as a complete surprise for us. We had no idea the DfT was going to do this. We submitted our transparency report back in June and didn’t expect an exercise covering every local authority.

“It caused disruption across the sector because no one was expecting it.”

Mr Lawton urged caution when comparing councils based on the ratings alone.

“When you look at the ratings, you are not always comparing apples with apples. There are lots of different factors involved.”

Despite the criticism, Mr Lawton reassured residents that the amber rating does not put future funding at risk.

“We are performing well, and there is no reason to suggest that the DfT will withhold funding in the future. If they ask for more information for 2026/27, I am confident we will be able to meet their requirements.”