Underground metallic structures such as energy and water pipelines are typically protected from corrosion by a combination of barrier coatings and Cathodic Protection (CP) systems. Unfortunately this combination is not always effective. When coatings lose their adhesion to the metal substrate a crevice between them is produced where effective CP levels may no longer be achieved. Under these conditions localised forms of attack such as pitting corrosion stress corrosion cracking and microbiological induced corrosion typically develop. These localized forms of attack represent a serious threat to the safe and cost effective operation of a given asset. Frequent detection and evaluation of such defects is an effective way to reduce the associated risks however inspection of underground structures is a challenging and costly task. Relatively inexpensive corrosion monitoring sensors could complement inspection tools providing an almost continuous source of useful information. Currently a sensor capable of measuring CP performance or corrosion rates under disbonded coatings has not been developed. This paper presents a novel design concept for such a sensor. The sensor working principle and capabilities are illustrated by exposure tests at constant CP levels in aerated aqueous solutions and saturated sandy soils. The obtained corrosion patterns are compared with the sensors aspect at the end of the tests.