Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Bob Spink
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidelines her Department has issued to statutory authorities on (a) measuring the level of degradation of road surfacing and (b) the time scales for resurfacing each of the categories of degraded road surfacing.

Ms Rosie Winterton
Local highway authorities have a duty under the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways in their charge. As part of the Best Value regime, they are required to report annually on the condition of those highways. Guidance on the calculation of such Best Value Condition Indicators, including reference to the road surface condition parameters to be measured, is provided on the Department’s website.

Decisions on what maintenance should be undertaken, and when, is a matter for each individual highway authority. The Department endorses ‘Well-maintained Highways’ (TSO, 2005) produced by the UK Roads Board, which provides best practice guidance on maintenance management.