In the spring budget of 2023, the government announced additional funding being made available to highway authorities to maintain and improve the local highway network.

The Department for Transport (DfT) advocates a risk based asset management approach to maintenance programmes to consider all parts of the network such as bridges, cycleways and lighting columns, not just filling of potholes.

From the national allocation of £200 million, we received £850,800 for the financial year 2023 to 2024. This enabled the following additional works to be programmed:

• grouted asphalt West Howe roundabout: £200,000 (completed)
• resurfacing (retread) at Jumpers Road and Clarence Park Road: £400,000 (in progress)
• footway maintenance – York Road: £50,000
• bridge maintenance – re-decking of Neacroft Bridge: £100,000

Additional highways maintenance

In October 2023, the government announced £8.3 billion of additional highways maintenance funding over the period 2023 to 2024 and the next 10 years for local road resurfacing and wider maintenance activity on the local highway network.

We received £604,000 for the financial year 2023 to 2024 and a further £604,000 for 2024 to 2025. The overall allocation awarded (including these sums) is £18.903 million. We have not yet received details on how the remainder of the funds will be allocated.

The additional funding received have enabled the below additional works to be programmed.

2023 to 2024

Resurfacing (retread) works:

• Canford Magna, 5357m2 (Merley & Bearwood)
• Howeth Road, 8604m2 (Winton & Wallisdown East)
• Guest Avenue, 3300m2 (Alderney & Bourne Valley)

This work is currently in progress.

Highway drainage improvements/investigations works:

• Lymington Road
• Millhams Road

2024 to 2025

Resurfacing (retread) of Beaufort Avenue, 7260m2 (West Southbourne).

£350,000 will be allocated to the replacement and improvement of assets, surface repairs and drainage improvements identified through the Highway Safety Inspection Programme.

AI technology trial and future plans

We are trialling use of AI intelligence to help us detect highway problems and improve condition monitoring of the road surface, signs, lining and other highway features.

Once these have been assessed the technology may be incorporated into routine maintenance surveys and inspections.

How we avoid repeated works on the same road

We introduced a permit to work scheme in September 2020 to better control roughly 33,000 street works activities that are carried out each year. We've been able to get companies to co-operate and combine their works on many occasions. We've also issued Section 58 notices where appropriate, these prevent further planned work within a defined period.

Investment totals in the last 5 years and plans for 2024-25

The below figures show the total amount of investment in local highway networks over the last 5 years, as well as what is planned for 2024 to 2025.

This has been split between local funding and funding received from the DfT.

These figures comprise highway maintenance needs based funding, pothole fund and inventive fund:

• 2019 to 2020: DfT £3,955,257, Local: none
• 2020 to 2021: DfT £10,774,000 (includes £4,185,000 Challenge Fund award), Local: £200,000
• 2021 to 2022: DfT £4,786,000, local - none
• 2022 to 2023: DfT £4,786,000, local - none
• 2023 to 2024: DfT £6,240,900, local - none
• 2024 to 2025: DfT £5,390,000, local - none