Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report

Our highway network

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council is responsible for managing the following length of highways, footways, and cycleways.

Lengths of highway, footways and cycleways (km/miles)

The Council is also responsible for maintaining a range of other highway assets, as outlined below. All highway assets within the Borough are maintained in accordance with a regime guided by local policies and national codes of practice.

Structures 

71 bridges, 124 footbridges, 123 culverts and 54 retaining walls, all of which require cyclic inspections and maintenance to prevent structural failures and ensure longevity.

Street lighting 

29,681 columns, 235 feeder pillars, 1770 illuminated signs and 392 illuminated bollards. Appropriate lighting to British Standards ensures road safety, reduces fear of crime, and improves the overall street scene. 

Drainage systems

Around 40,000 gullies, which are essential for preventing flooding and maintaining road integrity.

Traffic signal assets

81 junction traffic signals, 94 pedestrian crossing signals and various school crossing patrol lights. These regulate traffic flow and ensure vulnerable road user safety. We also manage CCTV cameras and urban traffic cameras, which are vital for monitoring traffic conditions and enhancing security. 

Street furniture

Bollards, litter bins and pedestrian barriers contribute to the functionality and cleanliness of public spaces. These elements, though often overlooked, are essential for maintaining an orderly and pleasant environment. 

Weather stations and salt bins

3 weather stations and 365 salt bins. These assets are crucial for winter maintenance, providing real-time weather data and ensuring that roads remain safe and passable during adverse weather conditions. 

Highways maintenance spending figures

Highway maintenance spending

Additional information on spending

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council is committed to maintaining its highway infrastructure to a high standard through a carefully balanced approach to capital investment, revenue spending and long-term asset management planning. This ensures that key elements of the network - including carriageways, footways, bridges, street lighting, traffic signals, drainage and public rights of way remain safe, functional and fit for the future.

The capital budget is primarily used for planned, larger-scale improvements and renewals. This includes investment in resurfacing and patching of roads and footways, helping to address surface deterioration before it becomes hazardous or costly to repair. Funding is also directed toward the inspection, maintenance and strengthening of bridges and other highway structures, supporting their continued safe use.

Capital spending also covers upgrades to street lighting, with an emphasis on transitioning to energy-efficient LED lanterns. This not only improves lighting quality and public safety, but also contributes to the Council's carbon reduction targets. Further allocations support the modernisation of traffic signals, enhancing traffic flow and pedestrian safety, and major drainage improvements, such as verge restoration and flood prevention measures.

In parallel, the revenue budget funds the essential day-to-day maintenance activities that keep the network operational. This includes reactive pothole repairs, undertaken in response to inspections and public reports, and routine gully cleansing to ensure effective drainage and reduce flood risk. Sign maintenance, vegetation clearance, grit bin management and the upkeep of Public Rights of Way (PROWs) also fall under revenue-funded services.

To deliver a sustainable, value-for-money service, the Council emphasises a balance between reactive and preventative maintenance. Reactive maintenance responds to issues such as potholes, structural damage and blocked gullies—typically unplanned and urgent. Preventative maintenance, in contrast, focuses on early interventions like resurfacing, drainage clearance and protective treatments to prevent deterioration and extend asset life.

Increasing the focus on preventative maintenance offers long-term savings and improved reliability. By tackling issues early, the Council can reduce the frequency and severity of reactive repairs, enhance safety and improve service continuity. This is achieved through:

• lifecycle planning - monitoring the condition of assets over time to plan maintenance at optimal points, improving efficiency and cost forecasting
• robust work programmes - establishing clear schedules of preventative work to avoid future failures and ensure consistent standards
• risk-based approach - prioritising maintenance where there is the greatest risk to public safety or infrastructure performance.

The Council is also embracing new innovations, including software tools for better planning, durable materials that extend road life and electric machinery to reduce the carbon footprint of works.

Collaboration with contractors supports delivery efficiency, while community engagement—such as feedback surveys—ensures that local needs are reflected in maintenance priorities.

By investing wisely and planning strategically, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council is delivering a resilient, cost-effective and sustainable highway network for the benefit of all road users.

Since 2020 to 2021, the Council has delivered consistent investment in its highways network through its capital budget, resurfacing over 28 miles of carriageway and maintaining a number of highway structures. For 2025 to 2026, plans include nearly 4 miles of resurfacing and 32 structure maintenance schemes, including principal and general inspections funded through capital and revenue budgets.

Estimate of number of potholes filled

Condition of local roads

Classified Road Network (A, B and C roads)

The Council does not maintain trunk roads; these are the responsibility of National Highways.

Independent road condition surveys on the classified road network in the Borough are currently carried out to a nationally approved methodology using a high-tech vehicle called a Surface Condition Assessment for the National Network of Roads (SCANNER) vehicle using laser-based technology.

A number of parameters are measured in these surveys and are then used to produce a road condition indicator which is split into three condition categories: 

• green - no further investigation or treatment required
• amber - maintenance may be required soon
• red - should be considered for maintenance

Percentage of A roads in each condition category

All the A roads in the Borough are subject to an annual condition survey. 

Percentage of B and C roads in each condition category

All the B and C roads in the Borough are subject to an annual condition survey.

Unclassified Road Network

Unclassified roads make up the majority of the road network across the Borough and serve residential properties, industry and business and provide links to the classified road network.

Whilst generally not carrying the same volume of traffic as classified roads, unclassified roads are vital for the day-to-day journeys undertaken by the public, business and local transport. 

Independent road condition surveys on the unclassified road network are currently carried out visually using the Coarse Visual Inspection methodology. These surveys are undertaken by accredited personnel in line with the procedures outlined in the nationally approved guidance, UK Pavement Management System User Manual. 

50% of the unclassified road network in the Borough is subject to an annual condition survey, i.e. the whole network is surveyed over a 2-year period. 

View road condition statistics data tables

The future of Road Condition Monitoring

From 2026 to 2027 a new methodology for monitoring road condition will be used based on a new British Standard (BSI PAS2161). Local Highway Authorities will be required to use a supplier that has been accredited against this new standard which will split roads into five categories instead of three to help government gain a more detailed understanding of road condition in England.

Additional information on condition 

The highway infrastructure asset (roads, footways, structures, drainage, street lighting, signs and traffic signals and crossings) is the most valuable single asset owned by the council and is vital for local economic prosperity and resident's quality of life.

As part of managing the highway asset, it is essential the Council closely monitors the condition of the road network across the Borough and by using sound highway asset management principles, ensures that resources are targeted at carrying out works to those lengths of road requiring maintenance and are done so using the correct treatments and at the optimum time. 

As can be seen from the tables, the condition of the classified road network is being maintained at a reasonably steady state, though the unclassified road network figures are subject to fluctuation. This can be attributed to the following reasons:

• a 2-year survey cycle means that 50% of the data used for calculating unclassified road condition figures is always 1 year old
• the unclassified road network is a large network and, due to its nature, a lot of the roads are old and made up of layers of differing types of road construction materials, leading to the risk of unpredictable rates of deterioration

Plans

Overall strategy

The highway infrastructure asset is the most valuable single asset owned by the Council and is vital for economic prosperity and residents' quality of life. We believe that effective highway infrastructure asset management is fundamental to the provision of our services and the delivery of our long-term vision and strategy for the Borough. 

A well-maintained highway asset plays a vital role in enabling reliable access to learning and employment, therefore, our approach to asset management is undertaken by applying a systematic approach to the management of the highway assets, ensuring that we apply best practice asset management principles and performance monitoring via long-term planning. 

Our maintenance strategy is based on a 'prevention is better than cure' approach using targeted preventative maintenance in preference to reactive repair works, the aim being to ensure we achieve the best possible condition of the asset. We maintain up to date registers for all highway infrastructure assets and from this information we have developed rolling works programmes for all these assets with the aim to deliver long-term, sustainable maintenance schemes. We make sure that our highway maintenance programme is evidenced based, undertaken within available budgets and utilises cost-effective and appropriate planned maintenance treatments carried out at the optimum time in the carriageway's lifecycle to maximise the life of the asset. 

We have a clear communication platform which gives customers and stakeholders the opportunity to contribute to the management of the asset and regularly consult with stakeholders to consider their needs and expectations. 

We are proactive in conducting periodic reviews of highway maintenance services which allows us to understand operations through the eyes of customers and stakeholders, with the purpose of identifying processes that do not add value and can be removed, thereby delivering better customer experience, at reduced cost. We benchmark our asset management policy, plans and strategies with others and learn from best practice in addition to actively collaborating with other local authorities and service providers to ensure the delivery of improved services, greater efficiencies and increased financial savings. We are also part of shared procurement alliances with other regional local authorities to procure common services and deliver significant efficiency savings and improved highway maintenance services. 

Regarding delivering innovation from a highway's perspective, during October 2023 we, along with our highway surfacing contractor and their delivery partners, undertook a project to deliver the lowest carbon carriageway resurfacing scheme anywhere in the UK to date. Upon completion, the scheme delivered over 80% actual carbon reduction, with no offsetting, when compared to traditional resurfacing methodology and materials. We were also one of the first authorities in the North-East to use rubber from old vehicle tyres as an additive to asphalt. These materials have now been added to the inventory of resources available to us for use in our annual resurfacing programme. We were also one of the first local highway authorities in the country to replace all streetlights with LED lanterns, which reduced our annual energy and maintenance costs associated with street lighting.

Specific plans for 2025 to 2026

In the 2025 to 2026 financial year, we have a comprehensive programme of works planned to improve the Borough's highways and infrastructure. Our key initiatives include:

• carriageway resurfacing - we will resurface approximately 3.9 miles of carriageway to enhance road safety and driving conditions
• footway improvements - a total of 18 footway improvement schemes will be delivered, funded through a combination of capital and revenue budgets
• pothole repairs - it is estimated that approximately 12800 potholes will be repaired during the year, contributing to smoother and safer journeys
• traffic signal upgrades - three traffic signal upgrade schemes will be implemented to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety
• street lighting enhancements - upgrades and improvements to street lighting will be conducted across the Borough to improve visibility and safety
• structural repairs - we will undertake 17 structural repairs, ensuring the continued integrity and safety of our infrastructure
• graffiti and vegetation removal - various locations will benefit from targeted graffiti removal and vegetation clearance to maintain a clean and accessible environment
• structural assessments and inspections:
  • 7 structural assessments
  • 8 principal inspections
  • 98 general inspections

These works reflect our ongoing commitment to maintaining and enhancing the Borough's infrastructure for the benefit of all residents and road users.

Street works

All street works are managed under the Street Works Permit Scheme, as mandated by the Traffic Management Act 2004 (TMA) Network Management Duty. This ensures effective coordination, minimises disruption, improves safety and optimises road space usage. 

We hold quarterly coordination meetings with major utilities and work promoters. These meetings help plan future projects collaboratively, promote trench sharing, and prevent conflicts with National Highways and neighbouring authorities. Future carriageway and footpath resurfacing programmes are regularly shared with works promoters, allowing them to schedule projects ahead of time. This prevents the recently resurfaced highway from being excavated multiple times and avoids delays that could impact the highway network or disrupt major utility asset renewal programmes, ultimately reducing future disruption. 

We keep our residents informed by utilising new technologies to offer real-time updates through interactive maps on our website. Our Media and Communications team actively promotes Council-led initiatives, while we collaborate closely with colleagues in the Tees Valley Combined Authority to communicate public transport impacts via notices, social media and their website.

Permit inspectors proactively monitor street works and enforce Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) for permit breaches, ensuring work zones are kept safe to protect road users and the workforce, and fines are issued for overruns and delays, ensuring projects stay on schedule. 

Before major projects, internal and external promoters conduct rigorous traffic modelling to assess the impact before finalising a traffic management plan. All significant major works undergo thorough stakeholder engagement, which includes community engagement sessions, letter drops, and dedicated webpages. On the ground, the use of advanced signage and mobile Variable Messaging Signs also assists drivers in selecting alternative routes, where embargos for any other work activities will be in effect, to minimise congestion. 

We continuously monitor the performance of promoters and traffic management providers, enabling us to identify concerns with specific operators. Early engagement allows us to address issues and implement improvements where necessary.

Climate change, resilience and adaptation 

In 2017, we were one of the first local authorities in the country to convert all streetlights to super-efficient, low maintenance LEDs, which resulted in reduced carbon emission reduction of 3140 tonnes per annum and 45% reduction in the overall carbon emissions of the Council.

Over the years the asphalt we use to resurface the Borough's many miles of roads, has changed from an old style, traditional hot-mix asphalt to a warm-mix asphalt, resulting in carbon emission reductions of 20% and warm mix is also more environmentally friendly due to less fumes and odours. In addition, another alternative material now used as part of our ongoing highway maintenance operations is 'rubber roads', whereby rubber from old car tyres is mixed into the asphalt, which ensures a reduced carbon footprint, when compared to a conventional material. Another added benefit is that it also reduces the number of tyres going to landfill sites, with Stockton saving more than 2000 so far. 

Perhaps the biggest breakthrough in relation to decarbonising our maintenance operations came when we, in partnership with our highway surfacing contractor, delivered the lowest carbon carriageway resurfacing scheme anywhere in the UK to date. The scheme delivered over 80% actual carbon reduction, with no offsetting, when compared to traditional resurfacing methods and materials and the outcomes from this project are now incorporated into our annual resurfacing programme.

Our teams are proactive in looking at and trialling new maintenance techniques, to further assist us in reducing carbon emissions associated with highway maintenance and help the Council achieve the targets in our Environmental, Sustainability and Carbon Reduction Strategy 2022. 

Climate change presents growing challenges for all of us and any severe disruption to the highway asset network can have a significant impact on the economic activity of the Borough, and in lieu of the risks climate change presents, we have identified a resilient network. The resilient network seeks to ensure existing resource is prioritised towards maintaining access and traffic flow on roads identified as being essential to support the social and business needs of the both the local and national economy. It receives priority through maintenance and other measures to maintain economic activity and protect access to key services and infrastructure during extreme weather and other disruptive events. Measures include prioritisation of reactive maintenance resources in the event of an incident, prioritisation of funding to mitigate deterioration of the asset, increased frequency of cyclical and reactive maintenance and network management, and this approach is taken on all asset groups, such as carriageways and footways, structures, drainage, street lighting and traffic signals. To ensure the resilient network is kept up to date we review it to ensure it reflects any changes to the network, or after any relevant extreme weather events. 

Additional information on plans 

Here at Stockton, we always work collaboratively and try to make sure, where practical and cost-effective, that we coordinate our maintenance interventions with wider projects, whether that be neighbouring local authority works, Town Centre Regeneration Schemes, Active Travel and Bus Priority Schemes, all with the aim of ensuring we deliver the best possible outcome for the users of the highway network within Stockton.

We pride ourselves on being open, honest, and fair, which is why effective communications, consultation and engagement are an important focus for us, and there are several channels we use to reach our various audiences, with the choice of communication channel depending on the audience we want to reach. We also seek to engage with as many people as possible across the Borough, by communicating our approach to the services we deliver, how we deliver them, in addition to the challenges we face as a Council. There is also a suite of supporting documents on the Council website should people wish to access more information.