Highways maintenance transparency report 2026-27
Contents
- Highways maintenance transparency report 2026-27
- Potholes and other road defects
- Condition of local roads
- Highways maintenance spending figures
- Highways maintenance plan for 2026-27
- Technical annex
- Local highways maintenance transparency report 2025-26
Local highways maintenance transparency report 2025-26
The Department for Transport expects all local highways authorities to publish information about their highways maintenance activities to help local taxpayers see the difference that funding is making in their areas.
Our highway network
North Northamptonshire Council is the highway authority for highway assets on the local road network and is responsible for managing and maintaining the network as shown in the table below. Highway assets include:
- carriageways
- footways and cycleways
- verges
- highway drainage
- highway bridges and structures
- traffic signs
- road markings
- traffic signals
- public rights of way.
The strategic highway network of trunk roads (A14 and A45) are the responsibility of National Highways to manage and maintain - so are not included within these figures.
Lengths of highway, footways and cycleways (km)
| A road | B and C roads | U roads | Total roads | Footways | Other public rights of way | Cycleways |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 287km | 551km | 1,015km | 1,853km | 1,520km | 1,157km | Included within other sections |
In addition, there are 898 highway bridges and structures that North Northamptonshire Council is responsible for maintaining.
Street lighting and illuminated signs and bollards are managed and maintained for North Northamptonshire Council by Balfour Beatty Living Places, under a PFI contractual arrangement.
Highways maintenance spending figures
The table below shows the capital funds allocated by Department of Transport each year, alongside both the capital and revenue spend.
The percentage spend on preventative maintenance is based on the amount spent on surface dressing, micro asphalt, resurfacing and retexturing treatments. These are treatments that are used to extend the life of the asset.
Reactive maintenance covers work that is needed to repair assets, such as filling potholes.
Highway maintenance spending
| Year | Capital allocated by DfT (£,000s) | Capital spend (£,000s) | Revenue spend (£,000s) | Estimate of % spent on preventative maintenance of carriageway (includes surface dressing, micro asphalt and resurfacing) | Estimate of % spent on reactive maintenance | Estimate of % spent on cyclical maintenance of all assets and capital maintenance of structures, footways and other minor assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (projected) | £12,377 | £15,768 | 7,697 | 18% | 29% | 53% |
| 2024/25 | £9,473 | £14,440 | 7,041 | 22% | 30% | 48% |
| 2023/24 | £10,967 | £10,577 | 6,629 | 16% | 32% | 52% |
| 2022/23 | £8,404 | £8,175 | 7,180 | 15% | 30% | 55% |
North Northamptonshire Council became a Unitary Authority in April 2021 and individual funding allocations for North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire were first made in April 2022.
Additional information on spending
Highway maintenance spend is used for reactive repairs, routine and cyclic works programmes along with longer term planned repairs including:
- carriageway resurfacing programmes
- preventative treatments including surfacing dressing and micro asphalt
- planned patching programmes
- bridges and structures maintenance and repairs
- reactive and emergency repairs including pothole filling
- cyclical maintenance including grass cutting, road drainage gully cleansing
- traffic sign repairs and road marking re-painting
- traffic signal and pedestrian crossing maintenance
Potholes remain as the defect that is most reported through our online reporting tool. In addition to customer reporting, we also conduct regular inspections of the highway network, to identify any safety repairs that are needed. The table below shows the estimated number of carriageway reactive repairs that have been completed over the last 5 years.
Estimate of number of potholes filled
Potholes are the defect that is most reported through our online reporting tool. In addition to customer reporting, we also conduct regular inspections of the highway network, to identify any safety repairs that are needed. This drives the reactive spend, which is based on an agreed risk based approach.
The table below shows the estimated number of carriageway reactive repairs that have been completed over the last 5 years:
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15,821 | 13,645 | 11,320 | 13,542 | 14,350 |
2020/21 and 2021/22 - Before North Northamptonshire Council formed, but estimated based on data available
Through our asset management approach, we use network intelligence to help prioritise future planned and preventative repairs. Modelling is used to help determine the level of funding that is needed and to help inform future investment needs.
The preventative approach to carriageway maintenance will drive a significant increase in preventative maintenance activities from 2026.
Condition of local roads
The following tables show the overall condition of the local highway network that North Northamptonshire Council is responsible for maintaining. This data is collected on an annual basis.
Percentage of A roads in each condition category per year 2020 to 2024
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2.79% | 58.27% | 38.94% |
| 2021 | 4.1% | 62.8% | 33.1% |
| 2022 | 4.2% | 65.4% | 30.4% |
| 2023 | 3.06% | 70.6% | 26.34% |
| 2024 | 3.55% | 71.5% | 24.95% |
Percentage of B and C roads in each condition category per year 2020 to 2024
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 6.94% | 75.89% | 17.17% |
| 2021 | 10.3% | 76.5% | 13.2% |
| 2022 | 11.4% | 77.2% | 11.4% |
| 2023 | 9.87% | 81.54% | 8.59% |
| 2024 | 10.42% | 81% | 8.58% |
| Year | Percentage of U Roads in the Red category |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 10.77% |
| 2021 | 13.4% |
| 2022 | 14.4% |
| 2023 | 11.59% |
| 2024 | 12.86% |
Since 2020, road condition assessments on the North Northamptonshire local road network have been captured annually, using high-resolution cameras mounted on vehicles that capture thousands of detailed images of the road surface as the vehicle drives along. These images are then assessed and analysed using specialist software. This is in line with the new national standard BSI PAS2161 as detailed below.
A number of parameters measured in these surveys are used to produce a road condition indicator which is initially categorised into five categories and is then adjusted for reporting purposes into three condition categories:
- Green - No further investigation or treatment required
- Amber - Maintenance may be required soon
- Red - Should be considered for maintenance
From 2026/27 a new methodology will be used based on the BSI PAS2161 standard. Local Highway Authorities will be required to use a supplier that has been accredited against PAS2161. This new standard will categorise roads into five categories instead of three to help government gain a more detailed understanding of road condition in England.
Additional information on condition
Highway bridges and structure assets are key components in NNC’s road network, and their ongoing integrity is essential for the availability of the road network.
The over-arching requirement is that the highway structures assets are assessed and maintained to remain in a condition that they support the safe operation and availability of the road network. This goal will be achieved by planned regular inspection and consequent repairs.
The longer-term aim will be to maintain and improve the current condition of the highway structures assets. However, it is recognised that limitations on funding may restrict maintenance spending in the short and medium term and in such situations the network will need to be proactively managed to maintain safety and availability.
The aspiration is not to achieve a defect-free asset, but one where defects that affect safety and serviceability are addressed.
Plans
Overall strategy
North Northamptonshire Council has a Highway Asset Management Policy and Highway Asset Management Strategy which promotes a preventative maintenance approach to carriageway maintenance.
Asset specific Highway Asset Management Plans are currently being updated to capture how each asset is managed, in line with the overall asset management policy and strategy.
Each year, we agree an Annual Plan that sets out what services, works and schemes are going to be delivered in year, along with an overview of a forward programme of priorities.
Effective asset management is one of the key factors in delivering a highway network that meets North Northamptonshire’s needs. Asset management will allow decisions to be made in a consistent manner and will allow the highway assets to be managed and maintained appropriately to ensure safety, serviceability and sustainability, as outlined in our Highways Asset Management Policy and Strategy.
The strategy states that we will manage and maintain its highways assets in a planned, cost effective, coordinated, sustainable and efficient manner, over the whole life cycle of the asset.
Our Asset Management approach follows best practice and incorporates guidance given in the UK Roads Liaison Group / Highway Maintenance Efficiency Programme (UKRLG / HMEP), Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Guidance Document.
Best practice and innovation
We continue to explore innovations in materials and processes that will support cost-efficiency and sustainability.
We have innovations working groups that explore ideas that can be trialled, and we also collaborate and share best practice with other local authorities who use the same service provider.
Innovations that are now embedded within our service delivery include:
- Roadmender - a permanent hot lay repair system using polymer-modified bitumen, offering durable pothole fixes with minimal waste and disruption
- Thermal patching - a technique that reworks and compacts existing asphalt using heat, enabling efficient surface defect repairs without full excavation
- Spray injection patching - uses a high pressure machine to inject a mixture of hot asphalt into potholes and cracks to quickly and cost effectively repair defects
Specific plans for 2025/26
In line with our highway asset management strategy, as part of the 2025/26 Annual Plan we will be completing 3.7 kilometres of micro asphalt and 12.4 kilometres of surface dressing as part of our carriageway preventative maintenance approach. In addition, we will be resurfacing 1.2 kilometres of carriageway.
We will also be repairing two structures and conducting minor maintenance on a further 3 bridges and structures.
We will be conducting a number of investigations at locations where we are aware of problems with the effectiveness of the highway drainage system and will complete any necessary repairs.
Streetworks
North Northamptonshire Council undertakes to coordinate all works taking place within its highway network to minimise disruption, ensuring collaborative working opportunities are identified and used alongside other various mitigation measures. The council adheres to legislation, including the New Roads and Street Works Act (NRSWA) 1991 and all its associated Codes of Practice and the Traffic Management Act 2004 as well as other statutory guidance, guidance notes and good practice provided by DfT and Highways and Utilities Committee (HAUC), which outline the responsibilities of utility companies and the regulatory duties of the Highway Authority.
North Northamptonshire Council operates a permit scheme, this enables effective management of the highway network and control of activities taking place within it allowing for fulfilment of the network management duty. Up-to-date traffic management information is publicised via one.network. Additional information is provided to stakeholders via, reporting, press releases, and social media platforms to keep stakeholders informed.
Climate change, resilience and adaptation
The highway network faces threats from climate with the potential for increased flooding, more powerful storms and extreme cold or heat, all of which can alter the road surface and cause defects and disruption to everyday travel.
We have been working to decarbonise our highway maintenance operations by:
- trialling and investing in low carbon pothole repair equipment such as Roadmender, which is made of 100% recycled content and produces no waste
- using Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil, rather than diesel, to fuel gritting fleet
- recycling of end-of-life personal protective equipment
- use electric powered plant to replace petrol powered equivalents
- use of foam-mix on suitable sites which allows recycling of both hazardous and non-hazardous asphalt waste
- identify, with support of supply chain partners, aggregates and other road laying materials that have greater environmental attributes compared to primary sourced materials
Moving forward, we will:
- continue to work with supply chain partners to identify new, efficient methods of working and identifying new materials to be used on the highways
- use the cross authority innovations group to share best practice and to identify new materials and technology to help with mitigation and adaptation towards climate change
- continue to decarbonise highway maintenance vehicles at an end of lease basis and replace with electric vehicles where possible depending on availability
- enhance the natural environment along highways through tree planting and grass verge management and restoration
- use technologies that will allow in situ recycling of road materials to reduce the use of new materials
A combined approach of carbon mitigation and adaptation will be required to ensure that we are reducing the emissions being produced to lessen the impact of climate change in years to come as well as adapting to the changes we are currently experiencing.
Last updated 07 September 2026