Local highways maintenance transparency core report - 2026
How we maintain local roads and pavements, responds to potholes and defects, funds the work and plans future maintenance.
Contents
How we maintain local roads, pavements, and the wider highway network in Oxfordshire
What we are responsible for maintaining
Oxfordshire County Council maintains a diverse highway network, including:
- Carriageways – 4,675 km of local roads, comprising 598 km of A roads, 466 km of B roads and 3,611 km of C and Unclassified roads.
- Footways – 3,185 km.
- Cycleways – 351 km.
- Structures – 731 vehicular bridges, 103 pedestrian and cycle bridges, 318 culverts and 30 underpasses.
- Street lighting, traffic signals and drainage – 60,327 street lights, 59,724 traffic signals and approximately 147,000 drains.
- Other highway assets – signs, lines, verges, safety barriers and related highway infrastructure.
The road network is split approximately 50/50 between urban and rural environments, creating maintenance challenges across towns, villages, strategic local routes and longer rural roads. These include high traffic, bus, walking, cycling and utility activity in urban areas; greater exposure, drainage constraints and access issues in rural areas; and pressures from an ageing network. Climate change is increasing the impact of heavy rainfall, flooding, storms, heat and freeze-thaw cycles, accelerating deterioration and placing greater demand on drainage, structures and emergency response.
Maintenance priorities are informed by inspections, condition data, safety risk, usage, public reports and available funding. Some transport assets in Oxfordshire are managed by other agencies, including the motorway and trunk road network managed by National Highways.
Road conditions in Oxfordshire
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
| Year | Percentage of road in red category | Percentage of road in amber category | Percentage of road in green category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5% | 29% | 67% |
| 2024 | 5% | 30% | 65% |
| 2025 | 5% | 32% | 63% |
| Year | Percentage of road in red category | Percentage of road in amber category | Percentage of road in green category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 7% | 31% | 62% |
| 2024 | 8% | 32% | 60% |
| 2025 | 9% | 33% | 58% |
| Year | Percentage of road in red category |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 22% |
| 2024 | 19% |
| 2025 | 20% |
Additional information on carriageway condition
The data obtained on the condition of the carriageways and footways once captured is held centrally on the Pavement Management System (PMS), which is used to:
- develop a list of highway assets which require maintenance, leading to a scheme prioritisation list.
- report and share Oxfordshire's latest asset condition
- develop a forward survey schedule
Notes:
- unclassified, U roads, are surveyed using a different methodology from the classified network (A to C Roads) and are measured by “Red %” only (length to be considered for maintenance).
- road condition survey accuracy may vary due to factors such as equipment calibration, survey conditions and interpretation. This introduces inherent variability in results, particularly around condition thresholds. Accordingly, survey outputs are treated as repeatable but not exact measurements, and are used to identify network condition trends rather than precise values.
What we are doing about potholes and other road defects
What is a pothole?
A pothole is a localised, usually sharp-edged depression or void in the carriageway where part of the road surface has broken away. Potholes usually form when water and traffic weaken the surface, causing material to loosen and detach. Under Oxfordshire’s Highway Safety Inspection Policy, potholes are assessed through a risk-based process. Inspectors first consider whether the defect meets the relevant investigatory level; for carriageway potholes this is generally at least 40mm deep and 150mm in diameter. These levels help identify possible safety implications, but are not absolute thresholds. Inspectors also consider road hierarchy, traffic speed and volume, location, likely users affected and the probability and impact of harm. Defects presenting an immediate or imminent hazard are categorised for response: Category 1A within 2 hours, Category 1B within 24 hours and Category 2 within 28 days. Other defects are recorded for future programmed works.
What we are doing to tackle potholes
Oxfordshire County Council manages potholes through a risk-based approach, combining inspections, public reports, reactive repairs and planned preventative maintenance. In 2025-26, we repaired approximately 41,000 potholes. Defects are prioritised by safety risk, network importance, location, usage, and the likelihood and impact of harm, so resources are focused where they are most needed. Where, safe and practical, we prioritise durable, permanent repairs to reduce repeat visits. However, some safety-critical defects may need an immediate temporary “make safe” response before a permanent repair can be completed, depending on weather, traffic management, repair size, road condition and available resources.
Preventative maintenance is central to reducing pothole formation and managing the network over the life of the asset. Where affordable and feasible, we aim to apply the right treatment at the right time, before deterioration accelerates and more disruptive or costly structural repairs are needed. This includes surface dressing, resurfacing, patching and drainage works, informed by condition data, inspections, local knowledge and funding availability. This approach supports whole-life value by extending asset life, reducing reactive demand and helping keep future maintenance costs as low as reasonably possible.
We are also trialling innovative repair materials and techniques to improve durability, efficiency, carbon performance and value for money. This includes methods such as thermal repairs, mechanised patching and alternative pothole and patching materials tested under real network conditions. Learning from these trials helps compare performance, understand which approaches work best in different locations and traffic conditions, and support wider use where they demonstrate clear benefits.
How members of public can report potholes and other highway defects
Members of the public can report potholes and other highway defects online through Oxfordshire County Council’s FixMyStreet reporting system. Reports can be made using a smartphone, tablet or computer by entering a postcode, street name or location, placing the issue on a map, selecting the relevant category and adding details and photographs where safe to do so. The system provides an acknowledgement and allows users to follow progress. Only one problem should be reported at a time. If there is an imminent safety risk, this should be reported by telephone on 0345 310 1111.
What happens after a pothole is reported
After a pothole defect is reported, the customer receives an acknowledgement and can follow progress online. The report is passed to the relevant team for investigation. Reported defects are assessed using a risk-based approach, considering factors such as size, location, road type, traffic, likely users and safety impact. If intervention is required, the repair is prioritised and programmed according to risk and available resources. Some urgent defects may be made safe before a permanent repair is arranged. If the issue is not the council’s responsibility, the reporter may be directed to the appropriate organisation.
What we spend to maintain the highway network and where the funding is coming from?
| 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 (projected) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total spend on highways maintenance | £ 70,635,178 | £ 70,290,693 4 | £ 77,501,144 |
| Of which spent on: | |||
| Carriageways | £ 34,538,952 | £ 41,118,772 | £ 43,107,311 |
| Footways | £ 5,091,150 | £ 3,081,212 | £ 3,599,000 |
| Structures (for example bridges or tunnels) | £ 6,647,288 | £ 4,540,195 | £ 9,085,251 |
| Drainage | £ 5,138,530 | £ 6,567,038 | £ 7,341,220 |
| Street lighting | £ 7,826,292 | £ 5,892,195 | £ 3,393,500 |
| Other assets | £ 11,392,966 | £ 9,091,281 | £ 10,974,862 |
| Funding sources for highways maintenance | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 (projected) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funding received through the Department for Transport / UK Government | £23,475,000 | £33,483,000 | £34,635,000 |
| [if applicable]: Additional highways maintenance funding provided by the Council or third parties | £47,160,178 | £36,807,693 | £42,866,144 |
| Total | £70,635,178 | £70,290,693 | £77,501,144 |
Our maintenance plans for this year
Our plans for highways maintenance for 2026-27
- Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) has an overall combined budget of £72,378,300 for Highways programmes in 2026/27, this includes both Capital and Revenue spending.
- OCC has scheduled Resurfacing Programmes covering 17.4 miles (28 kilometres) of highway in 2026/27.
- OCC has scheduled Surface Treatment Programmes covering 131.7 miles (212 kilometres) of highway in 2026/27.
- OCC has scheduled Footways Surface and Preventative Treatment Measures programmes covering 27.03 miles (43.5 kilometres) of Oxfordshire’s footpaths in 2026/27.
- OCC is planning to spend £9m in 2026/27 and £8.7m in 2027/28 on Bridges and Structures. We have 12 schemes currently planned for delivery in 2026/27 and design and pre-works for approximately 25 schemes in the following years.
- OCC has recently enhanced its investment in its Drainage network. We have a current Capital budget for Drainage in 2026/27 of £4.4m. This programme involves approximately 50 schemes and investigation programmes.
Full list of planned carriageway and footway works
Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) have compiled an interactive map of our highways works so that service users and others can browse works by geographical area. Each scheme of works has its own reference number, which is an OCC identification number, and users can use the location search bar to enter streets and areas they wish to search for. The map includes both completed and planned works (which have not yet been completed). The map details highways maintenance schemes of work, traffic signals improvement schemes, and road safety schemes. The map contains data for financial years 2025/26, 2026/27, and 2027/28. The map can be accessed at the below link:
How decisions are made on our maintenance plans
Oxfordshire’s maintenance plans are prioritised through an asset management approach that balances safety, network condition, customer need, resilience, active travel, value for money and available funding. Potential schemes are identified from condition surveys, safety inspection data, defect records, FixMyStreet reports, officer knowledge and annual member submissions. These are assessed alongside factors such as road hierarchy, traffic use, bus, walking and cycling importance, resilient network status and local priorities. Schemes are then reviewed by officers, including site validation and treatment selection, before being costed and programmed through the council’s governance process. Where possible, Oxfordshire gives priority to preventative maintenance and the right treatment at the right time, helping extend asset life, reduce reactive repairs and deliver whole-life value. Programmes are planned over several years because need exceeds annual funding, with delivery reviewed as condition, risk, resources and local circumstances change.
The Technical Annex provides the detailed evidence, data and supporting information that underpins Oxfordshire County Council’s 2026/27 Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report. It explains how highways maintenance funding is spent, how maintenance activities are planned and prioritised, and how the council manages assets, drainage, structures, climate resilience, innovation, workforce development, utility coordination and contract performance. The Technical Annex supports the information presented in the Core Report and demonstrates compliance with the Department for Transport’s 2026/27 transparency reporting and incentive funding requirements.