Agenda item

To receive an update on the Council’s approach to managing road maintenance.

The Head of Highways and Engineering presented an update report building on the Traffic & Road Safety report previously presented to Committee on 28 June 2022. The report reflected the recent changes to funding arrangements, inspection and prioritisation methods undertaken by the Council, repair techniques and communication processes. The Head of Highways and Engineering provided a detailed overview of the assets managed by the local authority including 110km of A roads, 352km of footways and 555km of other public right of ways. Since 2019, £96 million had been invested into highways and transport services and a further £91m was planned for investment over the following 4 years.

The Committee were informed that the Highways Asset Management approach had been adopted to support the delivery of investment across both highway and transport infrastructure and that the Highways Team took an evidence-led and risk-based approach to identify defects and conduct repairs.

It was noted that the condition data, routine safety inspections, engineering assessments and feedback received from residents and ward Councillors contributed towards the Council’s plan to prioritise maintenance and allocate investment effectively. It was added that this approach ensured balance between reactive maintenance and proactive planned maintenance.

The Head of Highways and Engineering presented statistical data relating to pothole management and highlighted that potholes could be reported through the Telford & Wrekin Council website. It was reported that a strong right-first-time performance had been achieved with 98% of repairs completed correctly during 2025/26. The Committee also noted that the Council had explored innovative and sustainable approaches to improve the quality and longevity of highway repairs, including the use of Elastomac. It was added that to demonstrate transparency, the Highway Investment Programme was published on an annual basis.

Committee Members noted that prior to any planned work, warning signs were placed on site 2 weeks before the planned improvement and relevant officers were also informed. All planned works were published on one.network and residents were able to register with one.network to receive notifications of planned works taking place in their ward area, helping them to stay informed about upcoming activity. Members were encouraged to report issues through MyTelford and the Head of Highways and Engineering explained that reports submitted via MyTelford were tracked, enabling residents to monitor progress, receive regular updates and be provided with responses regarding the outcome of their reports.

Members were informed that pothole data was now available on the website and was regularly kept up to date. The information also showed the number of duplicate reports received, enabling residents to see when an issue had already been reported, helping to reduce duplicate submissions.

At the time of the meeting, transparency reports were in the process of being developed and would include a public-facing report as well as information submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT). A review of the current highways strategy was also being undertaken, including the consideration of future approaches to asset management and how best to maintain assets across both public sites and the highway infrastructure. Additionally, Committee Members noted that the authority had performed strongly in the National Highways and Transport (NHT) Survey 2025, achieving a ranking of second place nationally.

Committee Members praised the efforts of Officers and recognised their efficiency in responding to enquiries and providing advice. Members also commended the Highways Team's commitment to keeping the public informed and maintaining openness in their communications and service delivery.

The Head of Highways and Engineering informed the Committee that reactive maintenance involved undertaking inspections in wards to identify maintenance requirements and assess reported issues. Members were encouraged to continue reporting issues, as this assisted in identifying areas requiring maintenance and helped to ensure that works were prioritised appropriately.

In response to questions raised regarding failures to notify members of road closures, the Head of Highways and Engineering informed the Committee that ward members should receive email notifications of road closures and asked that if Committee Members do not receive such notifications to contact the Highways Team directly. The Committee was also informed that information on road closures was available on one.network.

In addition, the Head of Highways and Engineering advised that a Safety Scheme report would be brought to the Committee for consideration and input prior to public consultation.

In response to further questions raised regarding difficulties attaching photos while reporting issues on the MyTelford app and concerns that submitted information was not always reflected consistently within the app, the Head of Highways and Engineering assured the Committee that IDT would investigate the issues raised.

Members recognised the efforts of the Highways Team during periods of severe weather and passed on their thanks for their timely and effective response. Members also highlighted broader highways matters within the Ercall Ward, including the ongoing flooding issue on Holyhead Road. It was noted that this matter had been challenging due to the involvement of multiple parties, including Severn Trent and the National Trust and that Officers had been actively working to address the issue whilst balancing a number of competing priorities across the borough.

The Chair of the Communities Scrutiny Committee suggested that a site visit be arranged to enable Members to observe pothole resurfacing works in practice and to gain a better understanding of the different resurfacing techniques and processes used. It was further suggested that the relevant Cabinet Member be invited to participate in the visit.

Members noted the report.