Department for Transport (DfT) Funding

Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report 2026

How we maintain local roads, pavements, and the wider highway network in Nottinghamshire.

You can see the content of the report below, or download a copy of the report.

On this page:

What we are responsible for maintaining

The highway infrastructure asset in Nottinghamshire is extensive and diverse, supporting residents, businesses, public transport, freight movements and economic growth across the county. As Highway Authority, we are responsible for maintaining these assets in a safe, serviceable and resilient condition while ensuring they continue to meet the needs of our communities.

The highway network includes:

  • 2,825 miles (4,546 km) of Carriageways
  • 2,450 miles (3,943 km) of Footways
  • Over 1250 Highway Structures
  • 113,540 Street Lighting assets
  • 414,243 Highway Drainage assets
  • 1,175 Traffic Signals and Electronic Installations
  • 182,311 Highway Trees

Maintaining this network is increasingly challenging. In addition to managing ageing assets and competing funding demands, recent winters have brought periods of prolonged rainfall, flooding and freeze-thaw conditions that have accelerated deterioration across the network. Severe weather has contributed to carriageway failure, drainage issues, erosion, landslips and damage to highway structures at several locations across Nottinghamshire.

Although highway investment has increased significantly, historic underfunding has created a substantial maintenance backlog. To address this, we apply robust asset data, risk-based prioritisation and whole-life asset management principles to target investment where it delivers the greatest benefit. This approach helps improve network resilience, maximise value for money and support long-term service outcomes for Nottinghamshire residents and businesses.

Road conditions in Nottinghamshire 

A roads

Year

Percentage of road in red category

Percentage of road in amber category

Percentage of road in green category

2023

3%

18%

80%

2024

3%

19%

78%

2025

4%

16%

80%


B and C roads

Year

Percentage of road in red category

Percentage of road in amber category

Percentage of road in green category

2023

4%

24%

71%

2024

4%

24%

71%

2025

12%

25%

63%


U roads

Year

Percentage of road in red category

2023

31%

2024

35%

2025

20%

 

Councils use road condition surveys to assess the state of their roads. The results are grouped into three 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.

The published official statistics for road condition include more detail about the methodology, timing and coverage of this data.

Additional information on carriageway condition

Carriageway condition in Nottinghamshire is influenced by traffic volumes, particularly freight movements, weather conditions, ground characteristics and historic investment levels. Recent winters, marked by prolonged rainfall, flooding and repeated freeze-thaw cycles, have accelerated deterioration across the network, increasing pothole formation and structural defects.

The unclassified (U) road network remains in poorer condition than the A, B and C network due to its size and historically lower investment levels.
It should be noted that apparent year-on-year changes, including B and C roads increasing from 4% to 12% red and U roads reducing from 35% to 20% red, are significantly influenced by the transition from SCANNER surveys to video-based condition monitoring. As a result, these figures are not directly comparable with previous years.
Video surveys provide up-to-date asset intelligence to support investment prioritisation and effective highway asset management. Year-to-year variations in condition also reflect the combined effects of maintenance programmes, funding availability and ongoing asset deterioration.

What we are doing about potholes and other road defects

What is a pothole?

Nottinghamshire defines a pothole as a loss of carriageway or footway surface material that creates a depression, hole or void in the highway surface that may present a hazard to road users. Potholes are assessed using a risk-based approach that considers factors such as depth, location, traffic volumes and the likelihood of harm.

Potholes are categorised according to risk, which determines our response times. Emergency defects are made safe within 2 hours, Category 1 defects within 1 working day, Category 2 within 28 days, and Category 3 within 90 days. 

Potholes develop due to traffic loading, water ingress and freeze-thaw action, which weaken the pavement structure over time. In Nottinghamshire, deterioration can be accelerated by heavy agricultural and HGV traffic, ageing road construction, clay-rich soils and failed utility reinstatements following works undertaken by statutory undertakers. Early identification and timely intervention help maintain a safe network and prevent more extensive deterioration. 

What we are doing to tackle potholes

We tackle potholes through a structured, risk-based asset management approach set out in our Highway Infrastructure Asset Management (HIAM) Policy and Strategy. Our approach is prevention-first, using lifecycle planning to intervene at the right time and reduce the need for reactive repairs.

A significant element of this approach is our extensive surface dressing programme, which helps preserve carriageways by sealing the road surface, preventing water ingress and extending asset life. This is supported by targeted mastic repairs that address early signs of deterioration, such as cracking and joint failure, preventing defects from developing into potholes.

We prioritise planned, preventative maintenance alongside resurfacing and other surface treatments to slow deterioration and maximise the value of investment. This supports a long-term, value-led approach, reducing disruption and whole-life costs.

Where potholes occur, we adopt a risk-based response, categorising defects and prioritising repairs based on safety and network importance. We aim to deliver permanent first-time repairs wherever feasible, using durable materials and techniques, including our Pothole Pro machine, which enables faster and more efficient permanent repairs.

However, immediate safety remains our priority. Temporary repairs may sometimes be required to make defects safe quickly before a permanent repair can be completed.

Our programmes are coordinated and evidence-led, ensuring resources are targeted where they deliver the greatest benefit in terms of safety, serviceability and value for money.
In 2025–26, we estimate that we repaired approximately 71,141 potholes across our network. Further detail on pothole/defect intervention criteria is provided in Annex B.

How members of public can report potholes and other highway defects

The public can report potholes and highway defects online 24 hours a day using our Highways Hub reporting service:

https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/transport/roads/report-a-problem

Defects can be reported via an interactive map, the MyNotts App, or by contacting the Customer Service Team online or by telephone, ensuring accessibility for all users.

This multi-channel approach enables the rapid identification of highway defects, improves customer engagement and provides valuable network intelligence. The information received supports a risk-based approach to highway maintenance, helping to prioritise inspections and repairs effectively while ensuring a proportionate response to safety concerns across the network.

What happens after a pothole is reported

Once a pothole is reported, it is logged in the Highway Asset Management System (HAMS) and assessed against investigatory levels to determine whether action is required. Where necessary, a reactive inspection is undertaken to verify the defect and assess its severity.

Defects are then risk assessed, considering factors such as size, location, traffic volumes and the likelihood of harm, and assigned a category that determines the response time.

Defects presenting an immediate danger are made safe as quickly as possible, while lower-risk defects are repaired within defined timescales or incorporated into planned maintenance programmes. Customers receive updates throughout the process.

What we spend to maintain the highway network and where the funding is coming from

Spending on highways maintenance

 

2024-25

2025-26

2026-27 (projected)

Total spend on highways maintenance 

£50,980,233

£65,779,000

£118,266,299
       

Carriageways

£34,147,993

£41,353,908

£87,255,613

 Footways

£1,046,996 

£3,678,676 

£1,939,853 

Structures (for example bridges or tunnels)

£1,099,084

£2,281,329

£1,727,729

Drainage

£3,489,353

£3,554,495

£4,866,453

Street lighting

£1,549,480

£3,955,732

£3,971,290

Other assets

£9,647,327

£10,954,859

£18,505,361

 

Where our funding for highways maintenance comes from

Funding sources for highways maintenance

2024-25

2025-26

2026-27 (projected)

Funding received through the Department for Transport / UK Government 

£20,999,000

£44,675,000

£83,418,454

Additional highways maintenance funding provided by the Council or third parties

(If applicable) 

£29,981,233

£21,104,000

£34,847,845

Total

£50,980,233 

£65,779,000 

 £118,266,299

 

Our maintenance plans for this year

Our plans for highways maintenance for 2026-27

Additional investment secured through EMCCA has enabled the Council to deliver a larger highway maintenance programme in 2026/27, accelerating improvements across the network and addressing more maintenance needs than would otherwise have been possible.

  • Carriageways are the primary focus, with 458 resurfacing and reconstruction schemes planned, improving approximately 92 km (57 miles) of road network.
  • A further 282 preventative maintenance schemes will treat approximately 270 km (168 miles) of carriageways, helping to extend asset life and reduce future deterioration.
  • Footway improvements will include 12 renewal schemes covering approximately 4 km (3 miles) of footways.
  • Highway structures programme includes 4 bridge maintenance schemes to ensure continued safety and resilience.
  • Drainage improvements will deliver 35 repair and enhancement schemes, reducing the impact of flooding and water-related carriageway deterioration.
  • Street lighting investment will replace more than 750 ageing columns across 33 schemes, improving network safety.

Full list of planned carriageway and footway works 

Nottinghamshire’s 2026/2027 Highway Capital Maintenance Programme is available through an interactive Map which allows schemes to be viewed by maintenance category:

  • Carriageway - large scale patching
  • Carriageway - micro asphalt
  • Carriageway - surface dressing
  • Carriageway - surface treatments
  • Carriageway - resurfacing
  • Footway - resurfacing
  • Highway Drainage
  • Street Lighting
  • Traffic Signal Renewals

The map provides an overview of planned investment across the county. Detailed information for each scheme, including the location and extent of the proposed maintenance works, is available beneath the map.

How decisions are made on our maintenance plans 

We prioritise highways maintenance using a risk-based, data-led approach aligned to asset management principles, with a strong emphasis on preventative maintenance rather than a purely worst-first approach. Condition data, safety inspections, lifecycle modelling, customer reports and Member requests are used to identify network needs and local priorities, ensuring investment reflects both technical evidence and community concerns.

Defects posing an immediate safety risk are addressed within defined response times, with a focus on delivering first-time permanent repairs wherever possible. Planned programmes target early intervention to extend asset life, manage deterioration and minimise whole-life costs, while taking account of network hierarchy, usage and local priorities.

Our approach is supported by regular benchmarking against other local highway authorities to identify best practice, drive continuous improvement and demonstrate value for money. Programmes are coordinated to maximise efficiency, minimise disruption and maintain a safe, resilient and customer-focused highway network.

Our Highways Maintenance Transparency Report – Technical Annex B, can be found here