Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2026
The Department for Transport (DfT) requires all local highways authorities to publish information about their highways maintenance activities to help local taxpayers understand how funding is being used in their area.
How we maintain local roads, pavements, and the wider highway network in Central Bedfordshire
What we are responsible for maintaining
We're the local highway authority responsible for managing and maintaining the public highway network across Central Bedfordshire. This network represents our most visible and valuable infrastructure with an approximate gross replacement value of £1.8 billion.
We're responsible for maintaining:
- carriageways – 1,423 km
- footways – approximately 1,409 km
- bridges and structures – 384
- streetlights – 24,933
- rights of way network – 1,362 km
- traffic signals and crossings – 151
- gullies – 57,214
Maintaining this extensive network presents challenges. The highway network includes urban and rural roads that experience varying traffic volumes, including routes carrying high levels of commuter and freight traffic. Weather conditions, ageing infrastructure and increasing demand contribute to deterioration of highway assets.
We used a risk-based approach to highway maintenance to ensure that our limited resources are directed to the areas where they will have the greatest impact on safety, network reliability and value for money. Rather than treating every asset the same, decisions are based on evidence, asset condition, usage, likelihood of failure and the potential consequences should an asset deteriorate or fail. This enables maintenance activities to be prioritised where risks to highway users, service delivery and the wider community are greatest.
Road conditions in Central Bedfordshire
Like other councils, we use road condition surveys to assess the state of our roads. The results are grouped into 3 categories:
- Green – the road is in good condition and no further investigation or treatment is required
- Amber – the road may need maintenance soon
- Red – the road is in poor condition and should be considered for maintenance
| Year | Percentage of A roads in red category | Percentage of A roads in amber category | Percentage of A roads in green category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1% | 14% | 85% |
| 2024 | 2% | 15% | 84% |
| 2025 | 2% | 17% | 81% |
| Year | Percentage of B and C roads in red category | Percentage of B and C roads in amber category | Percentage of B and C roads in green category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3% | 15% | 82% |
| 2024 | 3% | 18% | 79% |
| 2025 | 3% | 21% | 76% |
| Year | Percentage of U roads in red category |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 18% |
| 2024 | 16% |
| 2025 | 16% |
The published official statistics for road condition include more detail about the methodology, timing and coverage of this data.
Additional information on carriageway condition
The latest figures show some deterioration in A and B road condition, although the red category remained unchanged. Unclassified roads remained stable at 16% red.
Over the last 3 years, the overall condition of residential Unclassified (U) roads in Central Bedfordshire has improved by 2%, while main roads (A, B & C roads) have deteriorated slightly.
Nevertheless, due to our continued investment over 80% of A roads and 75% of B roads remain in the green category – consistently above the national average (source: Road conditions in England to March 2025 – GOV.UK).
We use SCANNER (Surface Condition Assessment for the National Network of Roads) survey data for A, B and C roads. Surveys assess physical condition, including rutting, cracking, and texture variations, using sensors, lasers and video capture of road surface. This data supports maintenance decisions, safety improvements and efficient resource allocation. For unclassified (U) roads, we use Vaisala road condition data.
What we are doing about potholes and other road defects
What is a pothole?
The Highways Asset Management Plan for Central Bedfordshire sets out that a pothole is a hole in the road surface that is bigger than 150mm long and 150mm wide and is deeper than 50mm.
Potholes form as road surfaces weaken through traffic and environmental conditions. Cracks allow water to penetrate underlying layers, which can freeze and expand, further weakening the structure. Repeated vehicle loading can then cause the surface to break apart and collapse. Potholes are more common in areas with heavy traffic, poor drainage or ageing road surfaces.
Potholes (known as defects) are assessed using a risk-based approach:
- Category 0 defects require an emergency make safe response within 2 hours
- Category 1 defects require permanent repair within 5 working days
- Category 2 defects are prioritised for consideration within planned programmes of work
What we are doing to tackle potholes
Our approach to tackling potholes is part of our wider Highways Asset Management Strategy that is set out on our website (read more about our roads strategies). In 2025 to 2026, we repaired 4,734 potholes.
Reactive repairs
We take a proactive, risk-based approach to potholes, combining reactive and preventative maintenance. Defects identified through inspections, community reports or digital tools (e.g. Report It) are assessed under our risk-based inspection management. We consider severity and risk to highway users. We prioritise permanent repairs where possible. Temporary repairs may be needed when permanent repairs are impractical.
Preventative maintenance
Preventing potholes is a key element of our asset management approach. Our annual maintenance programme includes surface dressing, resurfacing, micro asphalt treatments, crack sealing, Elastomac patching and drainage improvements to extend asset life, reduce water ingress and minimise future deterioration.
Reducing repeat visits
We reduce repeat visits by using durable materials, delivering wider patch repairs where needed (subject to budget), coordinating reactive and planned maintenance. Data analysis helps identify recurring issues so long-term solutions can be applied.
Safety and programme considerations
Permanent repairs are not always immediately possible due to traffic management, weather or resource pressures. We prioritise making defects safe, with permanent repairs completed as soon as practicable. Our approach balances safety, asset longevity and efficient use of resources to maintain a resilient network and reduce pothole recurrence.
How to report potholes and other highway defects
Residents can report potholes and other highway issues quickly and easily online at Report It or by calling 0300 300 8000.
Online reporting
Our web-based fault reporting service is called Report It. Report It allows users to report problems such as potholes, damaged footways, drainage, and street lighting faults.
Users can:
- enter a location
- pinpoint issues on a map, or use their current location
- enter details about the issue they want to report
- upload photos
- track progress and receive updates about the issue they have reported
What happens after a pothole is reported?
When a pothole is reported, it is logged in our Highways Asset Management System. This is then assigned a risk-based priority in line with our inspection policy. An inspector may visit the site to assess severity and determine the appropriate repair. High-risk defects classed as emergencies are made safe within 2 hours. Where feasible, a permanent repair is completed on the first visit; otherwise, a temporary repair is undertaken and a permanent fix programmed. All actions are tracked, and service users can view updates online using Report It.
What we spend to maintain the highway network and where the funding is coming from
| Asset type | 2024 to 2025 | 2025 to 2026 | 2026 to 2027 (projected) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total spend on highways maintenance | £21,781,940 | £23,860,155 | £31,027,766 |
| Carriageways | £9,503,808 | £11,776,096 | £15,336,369 |
| Footways | £1,856,344 | £1,810,786 | £3,174,276 |
| Structures (for example bridges or tunnels) | £533,660 | £414,652 | £854,876 |
| Drainage | £1,452,207 | £2,524,721 | £2,733,932 |
| Street lighting | £1,716,225 | £2,402,813 | £2,708,426 |
| Traffic signals | £430,632 | £566,448 | £523,757 |
| Public rights of way | £1,381,050 | £1,602,421 | £2,052,604 |
| Other assets | £4,908,015 | £2,762,218 | £3,643,526 |
| Funding source | 2024 to 2025 | 2025 to 2026 | 2026 to 2027 (projected) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funding received through the Department for Transport / UK government | £8,249,881 | £10,888,728 | £14,610,515 |
| Additional highways maintenance funding provided by the council or third parties | £13,532,059 | £12,971,427 | £16,417,251 |
| Total | £21,781,940 | £23,860,155 | £31,027,766 |
Our plans for highways maintenance for 2026 to 2027
Our 2026 to 2027 highways maintenance programme will deliver planned capital investment to maintain and improve the condition, resilience and safety of the highway network. The programme adopts a proactive asset management approach, focusing on targeted renewal and preventative maintenance activities across carriageways, footways and other highway assets.
Key elements of the programme include:
- carriageway resurfacing: 13 schemes covering approximately 5.59 km of the highway network
- preventative carriageway treatments: 22 surface dressing and micro asphalt schemes covering approximately 13.39 km, extending asset life and reducing future maintenance requirements
- carriageway patching: approximately 6,800 m² of coordinated and reactive patching, 11,030 m² of mastic asphalt patching across 12 sites, and preparatory patching at a further 11 locations
- footway renewals: 6 schemes covering approximately 1.82 km of pavement
- bridges and structures: improvements to 11 assets
- drainage: 5 improvement schemes to enhance network resilience and flood risk management
- traffic signals: refurbishment of 20 sites, including 2 junctions and 18 pedestrian crossings
- street lighting: upgrade of approximately 5,000 streetlights to LED technology with remote monitoring capability and renewal of approximately 200 ageing columns
Full list of planned carriageway and footway works
Read more about our Highways Capital Programme.
How decisions are made on our maintenance plans
We take a risk-based, evidence led approach to highway maintenance planning. Decisions are informed by asset condition data, routine safety inspections, customer reports, network hierarchy, traffic volumes and statutory obligations. Works are prioritised according to the level of risk to highway users, the condition of the asset, serviceability, resilience and available funding. Planned maintenance is favoured where it provides the greatest long-term value and helps prevent further deterioration, while reactive maintenance is undertaken where intervention is required to maintain network safety. This approach enables us to make effective use of available resources, target investment where it will have the greatest benefit and support the long-term management of the highway network.
Downloads
The report is downloadable in 2 parts:
Part 1: The core report
This is the main report and gives an overview of our roads, their condition, highways spending and the maintenance work we carry out.
Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (PDF, view in browser or download)
Part 2: Technical annex
This provides more detailed information about how we manage and maintain the highway network.