Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his planned timeframe is for assessing the effectiveness of the annual local authority road maintenance survey 2024.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Each year the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) commissions an independent survey of local authority highway authorities in England, including London, and Wales.
According to the AIA report, the aim of the survey is to take a snapshot of the general condition of the local road network based on information provided directly by those responsible for its maintenance.
The Department considers the report, along with a range of other evidence, when we are bidding to His Majesty’s Treasury (HMT).
Mentions:
1: None Transport Committee in the other place and the Law Commission have all touched on the need for the ongoing maintenance - Speech Link
2: None There are other things related to the maintenance of our highways—the potholes, large puddles, illegible - Speech Link
3: None We have enough trouble with delivery vehicles and maintenance contractors putting vehicles in strange - Speech Link
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department has allocated to Bexley Council for (a) pothole and (b) other road repairs in each year since 2015.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has allocated a total of £1.333 million to the London Borough of Bexley for local highway maintenance since 2015, as part of one-off funding uplifts, as set out in the table below. Transport is a devolved matter in London, meaning that the Department for Transport does not routinely allocate highway maintenance funding to London boroughs.
Year | Funding Stream | Amount £ |
2017/18 | Pothole Action Fund | 80,000 |
2018/19 | Budget 2018 | 703,000 |
2023/24 | Roads Resurfacing Fund | 275,000 |
2024/25 | Roads Resurfacing Fund | 275,000 |
Total | 1,333,000 |
Over the period between 2023/24 - 2033/34, the London Borough of Bexley will receive a minimum of £8.345 million funding through the national Roads Resurfacing Fund, as announced within the Prime Minister’s Network North plan on 4 October 2023 and as set out on gov.uk.
Mentions:
1: Mark Harper (Con - Forest of Dean) Local highway authorities across England are set to benefit from the biggest ever road resurfacing programme - Speech Link
May. 13 2024
Source Page: Letter dated 07/05/2024 from Lord Davies of Gower to Lord Liddle regarding points raised in the debate on the case for a plan to address the failings of the transport system: potholes, impacts in Cumbria, and additional funding to local authorities. 2p.Found: You suggested that the Government lacked a coherent plan for highway maintenance and that recent funding
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will issue guidance to highways authorities on the best practice to decarbonise roads maintenance.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department allocates pothole and highway maintenance capital funding to local highway authorities in England, outside of London, based on the length of roads, number of street lighting columns, and the number of bridges for which they are responsible. It is up to the respective highway authority how best to spend this funding to fulfil its statutory duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, based on local knowledge, circumstances and priorities.
The Department strongly advocates a risk-based whole lifecycle asset management approach to local authority highways maintenance programmes. This considers all parts of the highway network, such as bridges, cycleways, and lighting columns – and not just the fixing of potholes.
The Department encourages good practice in local highway maintenance and endorses the UK Roads Leadership Group’s Code of Practice 'Well-managed highway infrastructure' - https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/. The Code gives advice on all aspects of highway maintenance and Recommendation 32 gives advice on carbon reduction.
Decarbonisation is a key Government priority. Through the ADEPT Live Labs research programme, the Department is investing £30 million into seven projects aimed at reducing carbon by using sustainable materials and processes, such as warm-mix asphalts and asphalt modifiers.
Local highway authorities across England are set to benefit from a major boost in funding for highway maintenance, representing the biggest ever road resurfacing programme to improve local roads. My Department has published details of the £8.3 billion extra road funding which will make an unprecedented transformation in the condition of our highways.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will issue guidance to local authorities on (a) effective and (b) efficient ways to allocate pothole and road maintenance funding.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department allocates pothole and highway maintenance capital funding to local highway authorities in England, outside of London, based on the length of roads, number of street lighting columns, and the number of bridges for which they are responsible. It is up to the respective highway authority how best to spend this funding to fulfil its statutory duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, based on local knowledge, circumstances and priorities.
The Department strongly advocates a risk-based whole lifecycle asset management approach to local authority highways maintenance programmes. This considers all parts of the highway network, such as bridges, cycleways, and lighting columns – and not just the fixing of potholes.
The Department encourages good practice in local highway maintenance and endorses the UK Roads Leadership Group’s Code of Practice 'Well-managed highway infrastructure' - https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/. The Code gives advice on all aspects of highway maintenance and Recommendation 32 gives advice on carbon reduction.
Decarbonisation is a key Government priority. Through the ADEPT Live Labs research programme, the Department is investing £30 million into seven projects aimed at reducing carbon by using sustainable materials and processes, such as warm-mix asphalts and asphalt modifiers.
Local highway authorities across England are set to benefit from a major boost in funding for highway maintenance, representing the biggest ever road resurfacing programme to improve local roads. My Department has published details of the £8.3 billion extra road funding which will make an unprecedented transformation in the condition of our highways.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of (a) pothole repairs and (b) other maintenance of roads in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We have recently published details of the very significant £8.3 billion extra road funding which will make an unprecedented transformation in the condition of our highways across the country. Bedford and Central Bedfordshire will receive an additional £0.47 million and £0.702 million respectively in both this financial year and the next as part of this. This is on top of the Department providing Bedford and Central Bedfordshire Councils with £4.39 million and £6.55 million respectively to maintain their local highway networks in 2023/24; this includes their share of the extra £200 million announced at Budget 2023.
It is up to each local highway authority to ensure that it is maintaining its roads appropriately and in accordance with its statutory under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980.The Department strongly advocates a risk-based whole lifecycle asset management approach to local authority highways maintenance programmes and encourages good practice in highway maintenance through channels such as the Well Managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice, produced by the UK Roads Leadership Group (UKRLG).
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department issues to highway authorities on best practice in local roads maintenance to achieve (a) value for money and (b) improved outcomes.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department strongly advocates a risk-based, whole lifecycle asset management approach to local authority highways maintenance programmes. This considers all parts of the highway network, such as bridges, cycleways, and lighting columns, and not just the fixing of potholes.
The Department also encourages good practice in local highway maintenance for all local highway authorities and endorses the UK Roads Leadership Group’s Code of Practice 'Well-managed highway infrastructure' - https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/. The Code gives advice on all aspects of highway maintenance.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will issue guidance to local authorities on the use of longer-lasting road surfacing materials.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department allocates pothole and highway maintenance capital funding to local highway authorities in England, outside of London, based on the length of roads, number of street lighting columns, and the number of bridges for which they are responsible. It is up to the respective highway authority how best to spend this funding to fulfil its statutory duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, based on local knowledge, circumstances and priorities.
The Department strongly advocates a risk-based whole lifecycle asset management approach to local authority highways maintenance programmes. This considers all parts of the highway network, such as bridges, cycleways, and lighting columns – and not just the fixing of potholes.
The Department encourages good practice in local highway maintenance and endorses the UK Roads Leadership Group’s Code of Practice 'Well-managed highway infrastructure' - https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/. The Code gives advice on all aspects of highway maintenance and Recommendation 32 gives advice on carbon reduction.
Decarbonisation is a key Government priority. Through the ADEPT Live Labs research programme, the Department is investing £30 million into seven projects aimed at reducing carbon by using sustainable materials and processes, such as warm-mix asphalts and asphalt modifiers.
Local highway authorities across England are set to benefit from a major boost in funding for highway maintenance, representing the biggest ever road resurfacing programme to improve local roads. My Department has published details of the £8.3 billion extra road funding which will make an unprecedented transformation in the condition of our highways.