Highways maintenance transparency report 2026

In this section

  1. What we spent to maintain the highway network and where the funding is coming from
  2. How we maintain local roads, pavements, and the wider highway network in Stoke-on-Trent
  3. Our maintenance plans for this year
  4. Transparency report – Technical Annex template
  5. Maintaining footways and cycleways
  6. Drainage
  7. Skills and training
  8. Adapting roads to withstand climate pressures
  9. Innovation
  10. Working with utility companies to reduce disruption to road users
  11. Managing highways maintenance contracts effectively

Managing highways maintenance contracts effectively

  1.  

Question

Yes / No
  1.  

Does your authority retain in‑house technical capability to independently assess maintenance interventions proposed by contractors?

Yes

  1.  

Do you routinely analyse actual unit costs (for example £/m² of road surface treatments, or £/pothole repair) for core highways maintenance activities delivered under contract and compare them against benchmarks or historic performance?

Yes

  1.  

Do you have defined KPIs for your highways maintenance contract(s), and are they actively monitored by your authority to manage performance?

Yes

  1.  

If reactive pothole repairs are delivered by a contractor, do your contracting arrangements incentivise single‑visit permanent repairs where it is safe and appropriate to do so?

N/A all in house

 

Evidence Summary

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has robust arrangements in place to ensure highway maintenance activities deliver value for money and high-quality outcomes. Through our membership of the Midlands Highway Alliance Plus (MHA+), we regularly benchmark prices, specifications and delivery approaches against other authorities and retender major maintenance packages on a four-year cycle to maintain competitiveness. For structural and preventative maintenance schemes, dedicated Clerks of Works undertake site inspections and quality assurance checks throughout delivery. Reactive maintenance is delivered through our in-house direct labour organisation, with supervisors carrying out routine quality inspections to ensure repairs meet required standards and are completed safely, efficiently and to the expected standard.

 

Further context

Our approach combines strong client-side governance with operational oversight to ensure maintenance investment delivers long-term value. Works are inspected during construction and upon completion, with any defects or quality issues addressed promptly. The use of an in-house workforce for reactive repairs provides direct control over standards, productivity and training, while competitive procurement through recognised frameworks helps ensure best value. Performance, quality and cost data are reviewed regularly and used to inform future procurement exercises, maintenance specifications and programme development, supporting a culture of continuous improvement across the highways service.