Highways Maintenance Transparency report

Lengths of highway, footways and cycleways (km)

The Highway network doesn’t just contain roads and footways. The Council is also responsible for the following Highway Infrastructure.

Highways Maintenance Spending Figures

Highways are the most valuable asset North Lincolnshire Council own, worth in the region of £2.4 Billion (inc land). £1.7 Billion (exc land).

Roads are vital to the economic, social and environmental well-being of our area. They provide access to business and communities, contribute to local character and the electorate’s quality of life. They need constant upkeep and maintenance.

Local road maintenance expenditure can be classified as ‘capital’ or ‘revenue’ and is covered by a combination of North Lincolnshire Councils own revenues and central government grants.

The below table shows maintenance expenditure for the previous five years together with a projected spend for 2025/26.

Highway Maintenance Spending

At North Lincolnshire Council we use our capital budgets, both DfT and internal funding, to undertake first time fix permanent pothole repairs along with schemes. These are multiyear repairs and schemes that enhance the asset.

Our reactive revenue budgets are spent on emergency type pothole repairs to keep the roads safe, that will lead to a future patch and or scheme for a permanent solution later in year.

In 2025 we are investing in additional machinery that will enable Council operatives to increase pothole repair capacity to undertake first time permanent fixes instead of emergency repairs. We have doubled our permanent pothole fixing capacity to bring down the number of outstanding emergency repairs.

Highway maintenance spend typically comprises

• Structural highway resurfacing programmes
• Preventative highway surfacing programmes
• Planned highway patching programmes
• Reactive and emergency repairs – including pothole filling
• Cyclic maintenance – such as road drainage gully cleansing
• Flood prevention and flood alleviation schemes
• Bridges and structures
• Signs and road markings
• Street furniture
• Traffic signals and pedestrian crossing facilities
• Public rights of ways
• Cycleways
• Green assets – such as highway trees and verges
• Streetlighting
• Crash barrier repair

The below table shows expenditure on Highway Resurfacing Schemes over the previous six years. It also shows how many miles of road have been treated over those years.

Resurfacing schemes include those roads that were subject to Surface Dressing, Carriageway Resurfacing/Reconstruction and Recycling techniques.

In addition to the above, North Lincolnshire Council maintains 475 Structures. These include bridges, culverts, retaining walls etc. Over the previous six years, we have spent £1m on bridge infrastructure and maintaining all 475 structures.

Pothole Maintenance

One of the biggest concerns road users express within stakeholder satisfaction surveys often relates to potholes.
A pothole is a sharp-edged depression anywhere in a carriageway where part or all the surface layers have been removed, including carriageway collapses, surrounds to ironwork and missing road studs. A pothole will be at investigatory level when it is greater than 40mm deep and its horizontal (plan) dimension is greater than 300mm in any direction.

The North Lincolnshire Council Highway Operations Team have estimated the number of potholes filled over past five in the table below.

We have calculated the number of potholes filled based on the amount of tarmac used each year.

The numbers are based on a standard sized pothole (measuring 300mm x 300mm x 40mm deep).

Estimate of number of individual potholes filled

Furthermore, planned highway resurfacing works over the next three years will repair or reduce the number of potholes forming.

In 2025/26 North Lincolnshire Council plan to resurface 38.6Km of carriageway. Therefore, this year’s resurfacing programme will repair or reduce the number of potholes forming by approximately 2,570.

In 2026/27 we aim to resurface 31km of carriageway. This equates to repairing 2,047 potholes.

In 2027/28 we aim to resurface 30km of carriageway. This equates to repairing 1,997 potholes.

Condition of local roads

Road condition data for Classified Principal A Roads and Classified Non-Principal B & C Roads are predominantly collected using a laser-based technology. Lasers are mounted on a survey vehicle commonly known as a SCANNER. (Surface Condition Assessment for the National Network of Roads).

Road condition data for our Unclassified roads is currently collected using Annual Engineers Inspections (AEI) surveys. These are undertaken by independent accredited inspectors.

A number of parameters measured in these surveys are used to produce a road condition indicator which is categorised 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.

Further details are available at Road condition statistics: data tables (RDC) – GOV.UK

As well as collecting condition data via Annual Condition Surveys, all adopted roads in the authority are monitored routinely by North Lincolnshire Council Highway Inspectors.

Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 places a duty on the Highways Authority to maintain its highways. Section 58 provides a defence against third party claims which relies upon regular safety inspections of adopted highways.
These comprise of cyclic comprehensive inspections of all highway elements and are designed to identify investigatory defects likely to create a danger or serious inconvenience to network users. They are important as a means of keeping the highway safe for the travelling public, but they are also important for proving that the Council takes a responsible attitude to its duties as highway authority.

Reactive inspections may also be carried out in response to requests from MP’s, Councillors and members of the public.

The Council does not maintain trunk roads or motorways; they are the responsibility of National Highways.

The detailed information in the following pages are used to report on the national performance indicators for road condition.

North Lincolnshire – Classified Principal A Roads

NLC – Percentage of A roads in each condition category

We undertake 100% coverage of A Roads annually via Scanner and AEI Surveys. The graph below shows that our A Roads are in a condition equal to or better than the national average.

Note: Reason for our change in trend on previous years was due to a temporary change in the data collection method. The 2024 figures were produced from an Independent Annual Engineers Inspection (AEI) as opposed to our traditional Scanner survey method. We will recommence reporting via Scanner data for 2025 when we expect to return to figures in the region of 3%.

North Lincolnshire – Non-Principal B & C Roads

Percentage of B and C roads in each condition category

We survey 100% of B Roads in one direction Annually via Scanner.

Also, we survey 50% of C Roads in one direction annually via Scanner.

Additionally, we undertake Annual Engineers Inspections (AEI) on 100% (both directions) of A and B Roads yearly.

The graph below shows that our B & C Roads are in generally in a condition equal to or better than the national average. The 10% figure is skewed due to method of data collection, see note below.

Note: Reason for change in trend on previous years was due to a temporary change in the data collection method. The 2024 figures were produced from an Independent Annual Engineers Inspection (AEI) as opposed to our traditional Scanner survey method. We will recommence reporting via Scanner data for 2025 when we expect to return figures in the region of 5%.

North Lincolnshire – Unclassified Road Network

Percentage of Unclassified Roads in each condition category

The figures presented above were re-calculated using AEI survey data. Previously, we had submitted numbers to Dft based on Coarse Visual Inspections (CVI).

The numbers show that North Lincolnshire’s Unclassified roads are performing roughly in line with the national average.

Plans – Overall strategy

North Lincolnshire Council is committed to a highway asset management approach for the long-term maintenance of its highway infrastructure assets.

Asset management is a well-established discipline, implemented in the UK and internationally for the management of physical assets. North Lincolnshire Council have adopted the principles of asset management and as a result, can demonstrate benefits in terms of financial efficiencies, improved accountability, better value for money and improved customer service.

In the highways context – where the asset is the highway itself – the aim is to provide a structured approach to roads maintenance to enable North Lincolnshire Council to operate, maintain and restore their ‘highway assets’ to meet key performance requirements.

Looking after the highway network is a national priority given its fundamental role in the economy. To fulfil this potential, it needs to be adequately maintained. Highway authorities in England are required by the Department for Transport (DfT) to demonstrate they are making the best use of highway assets through Transport Asset Management Plans.

North Lincolnshire Council have adopted the Code of Practice ‘Well Managed Highway Infrastructure’. This guidance suggests a preventative first time approach to Asset Management. As such, a preventative approach is generally taken to treat roads prior to failure occurring. This ensures that the roads are maintained in a safe condition.

North Lincolnshire’s key asset management planning documents, comprise of: Local Transport Plan 2011-2026, Transport Asset Management Plan (TAMP), Electric Vehicle Charging, A Green Future: Our Plan for Positive Change and Winter Service Policy. These documents are reviewed annually and are published on the Council’s website.

Scheme Prioritisation Process

Asset management promotes a business-like way to highway maintenance. It makes better use of limited resources and delivers efficient and effective highway maintenance. It takes a long-term view of how highways may be managed, focusing on outcomes by ensuring that funds are spent on activities that prevent expensive short-term repairs. This makes the best use of public money whilst minimising the risk involved in investing in highway maintenance.

North Lincolnshire Council operates a Scheme Prioritisation Scoring system as a way of demonstrating a robust Asset Management approach to highway maintenance.

The Scheme Prioritisation System is forever evolving. To improve on the existing ‘spreadsheet’ based system, we are currently in the process of replicating the scoring system within a Pavement Management Software application.

Condition data is fundamental to the Scheme Prioritisation process. The process is built upon the data collected from the following surveys.

• AEI (Annual Engineers Inspection) – Unclassified Roads
• Scrim Surveys (Skidding Resistance) – A & B Road Network
• Scanner Surveys – Classified Roads

Each section of road on our Highway Network is scored and weighted based upon numerous factors. The following considerations also contribute to the scoring process.

• AEI Condition Assessment
• Highway Inspector – Priority Sites
• Road Hierarchy
• Insurance Claims/Street History
• Collision Sites
• Community Interest
• Local Economy
• Noise, vibration and environmental issues
• Customer enquiries
• Skid Resistance

Once all scores are collated, a total score for each road section is calculated. We can then rank sites in terms of total score and treatment types. This enables us to produce effective works programmes.

Plans – Specific Plans for 2025/26

North Lincolnshire Council structural and preventative highway maintenance resurfacing programmes are published on-line annually.

The council aims to implement a balanced maintenance strategy designed to remedy structural deterioration using resurfacing schemes where assessments and risk dictates needs, supported by focussed preventative maintenance programmes designed to extend the serviceable life of highway surfaces in accordance with lifecycle planning principles.

Works programmes are compiled using North Lincolnshire Councils Scheme Prioritisation methodology.

During 2025/26 North Lincolnshire Council provisional maintenance programmes aim to:

• Resurface around 11 miles of carriageway, investing in the region of £4,000,000
• Recycle around 4.5 miles of carriageways, investing in the region of £600,000
• Surface Dress around 8 miles of carriageway, investing £500,000
• Resurface around 3.5 miles of footway, investing £200,000
• Carry out Highway structures works, investing around £675,000
• Investing around £400,000 on traffic safety schemes, including traffic signals, pedestrian crossings, traffic regulation orders and new traffic road signs and markings.
• In the region of 23,000m2 of Patching Work is anticipated.

With specific regard to potholes, North Lincolnshire Council acknowledges the recommendations set out in Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP) Prevention and a Better Cure: Potholes Review, which advocates three core drivers for efficient operational practices:

• Prevention is better than cure – intervening at the right time will reduce the number of potholes forming and prevent bigger problems later
• Right first time – do it once and get it right, rather than face continuous bills
• Clarity for the public – local highway authorities need to communicate to the public what is being done and how it’s being done

The Council undertakes structured highway safety inspections to identify defects including potholes. Once identified, a planer patch machine is utilised alongside other methods to repair potholes.

Any street suffering with large numbers of potholes is analysed within the council’s scheme prioritisation system and placed on a preventative maintenance programme.

Depending on the severity of weather conditions, it is estimated that up to 15,000 potholes could need attention during 2025/26. Engineers believe that planer patch repairs offer the fastest, most durable and cost-effective solution for meeting the requirements set out in prevailing best practice guidance.

Plans – Additional information

Measuring Public Satisfaction

North Lincolnshire Council partakes in the NHT (National Highways and Transport) Public Satisfaction Survey. This survey collects public perspectives on, and satisfaction with, Highway and Transport Services in Local Authority areas. It is a unique, standardised, collaboration between Highway Authorities across the UK, enabling comparison, knowledge sharing, and the potential to improve efficiencies by the sharing of good practice.

Active Travel

There is an ambition to expand our offer to the public for a better and more connected cycling and walking network across North Lincolnshire.

As a council, we have a clear strategic focus to enhance our transport offer to the public. Our Integrated Transport Strategy sets out ambitions to transform transport networks to connect people, products and places and support the delivery of the Council’s Key Priorities:

• Grow the economy
• Keep people safe and well
• Enable communities to flourish.

There is a desire to promote active travel across North Lincolnshire, with a key element being cycling in the community. By realising these ambitions, there is significant potential to be catalysts in promoting and enabling healthier and more active lifestyles, as well as sustainable and environmentally friendly means of travel over the council plan period and beyond.

Streetworks

North Lincolnshire Council carefully coordinates street works to minimise disruptions, ensuring efficient resource management and shared road space accessibility. The council adheres to statutory guidelines, including the New Roads and Street Works Act (NRSWA) 1991, Highways and Utilities Commissions (HAUC) Guidance Procedures 2025, and the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Code of Practice for Street Works Inspections 2023, which outline the responsibilities of utility companies and the regulatory duties of the Highway Authority.

To effectively oversee street works, North Lincolnshire Council operates a permit scheme system, enabling thorough monitoring and management of activities. The council utilises up-to-date traffic management information, including lane closures, with timely notifications published on its website, press releases, and social media platforms to keep stakeholders informed.

North Lincolnshire Council shares forward plans of all road and footway resurfacing schemes with utility companies utilising multiple communication channels. Protection notices are put on road and footways, ensuring no company can work on these roads unless there are exceptional circumstances like emergency repairs.

Reinstatements are checked by inspectors and any utility companies made to repair any unsatisfactory work. We have regular co-ordination meetings with utility companies.

All our roadworks and utility company works can be found on a website called ‘One Network’. This website can be used by utility companies when planning their schemes to ensure there are no clashes and works are not carried out on newly surfaced roads.

Climate change, resilience and adaptation

The past decade has seen the nation’s highways impacted by a series of extreme events. Roads and bridges have collapsed or been closed for prolonged periods, with damage severing vital community lifelines and cutting access to basic services.

Highways Networks are increasingly witnessing impact from floods, storms, droughts and fires, all impacting how services are delivered. Projections indicate that climate change will continue to intensify these hazards, as an authority we need to strengthen our resilience by adapting our structures and processes to meet the challenge.

North Lincolnshire Council and contractors have contributed pro-actively to reduce carbon footprints, including where practical switching to technologies such as electric vehicles or plant and delivering maintenance schemes utilising Low Energy Asphalt (LEA) materials for locations where durability parameters permit. The increased use of preventative maintenance programmes also helps bring about greater asset lifecycles across the network, thus reducing carbon, and the use of recycled materials is being increasingly considered within the preliminary design of planned maintenance schemes.

The Highways Team are committed to improving energy efficiency with a view to contribute towards the council objective to be net zero carbon by 2030.

To deliver this objective we aim to reduce the carbon footprint by:

• Following Highways England Guidance and the DfT Transport Decarbonisation Plan.
• Incorporating emission standards into contracts with suppliers.
• Environmental considerations and exploiting “new thinking and technology” wherever possible.
• Procurement of low carbon surfacing materials. A shift towards using energy efficient materials such as Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) will need to become the preferred choice of road surfacing.
• Use of reclaimed asphalt.
• Greater use of carriageway ‘cold’ recycling techniques.
• Source energy from renewable sources.
• More efficient working to reduce emissions.
• Greater use of longer life maintenance treatment processes.
• Using energy-efficient lighting for roadsides and signage.
• Planting trees for capturing carbon near major projects.
• Transition to green fleet.
• Battery powered plant and equipment.
• De-illumination of traffic signs where regulations permit.
• All streetlighting and lit traffic signs to utilise LED technology.
• Increasing Biodiversity net gain on schemes where possible.
• Promote Active Travel.