Highway Condition Report 2025

The Department for Transport has asked all local highway authorities to publish information about their highways maintenance activities to help local taxpayers see the difference that funding is making in their areas.

Our highway network

The Council is responsible for almost 800km of adopted roads and over 1000km of footways, in addition to a well-developed cycle route network covering over 250km. Other highway related assets include over 40,000 gullies, nearly 20,000 streetlights and numerous other important transport assets such as bridges, traffic signals, road signs etc.

Lengths of highway, footways and cycleways (km)

The City of York Council area covers a very varied geography. It includes rural areas, hamlets, villages and, of course, a city. Within the built-up area of the city there are suburbs, a historic city centre, inner city areas laid out by the Georgians and Victorians, inter-war and post war twentieth century suburbs, green spaces such as the city’s strays and parks and modern retail and business parks. All these areas experience transport in different ways and as such are served by differing types of services and facilities.

Highways maintenance spending figures

Additional information on spending

The council, in recognising the importance of maintaining the highway network to our residents invests additional capital resources into Highway Maintenance each year. In 2024 to 2025 a total of £3,870k was included specifically for Highway Maintenance, £1,200k for traffic signal renewals and £900k to deliver highway improvements that suffer from drainage issues. There was also additional council funded investment in structures and street lighting.

In 2025 to 2026 Members approved additional budgets totalling £5,070k for Highways (including traffic signals) £1,000k for drainage, £665k for structures and £578k for street lighting.

Highway maintenance is a wide-ranging function that involves the following general types of activity:

• Planned, Proactive or Programmed Maintenance – provides larger more costly schemes primarily of resurfacing or reconstruction to a planned schedule. On average we resurface over 6km of roads each year.
• Reactive Maintenance – managing the network day-to-day, responding to inspections, service reports/complaints and emergencies. Each year we spend approximately two thirds of the Revenue basic maintenance budget on reactive pothole and masonry repairs consisting of repairing isolated pothole defects, contour and inlay patching for larger single or multiple potholes and also the replacement of stone flagging, cobbles and blockwork. The repair and replacement of damaged bollards, safety fencing, traffic signage and refreshing of road markings make up the remaining third of the budget spend.
• Preventative Maintenance – provides programmes of cost-effective treatments aimed at extending the useful life that are generally applied to the surface to recondition and seal the existing material. On average we complete a surface treatment on nearly 5km of road each year.
• Routine Maintenance – providing works or services to a regular consistent schedule, examples being gully cleansing and grass cutting

Estimate of number of potholes filled

All figures relate to job tickets (work orders) raised that include multiple areas and repairs types include pothole defects.

Additional reporting tools have been developed using data from our new Asset Management System (AMS) that provide more accurate outputs across a range of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Using data collected since April 2024 we can report that 9074 individual potholes have been repaired in the financial year 2024 to 2025.

The council has a statutory duty to maintain its highway assets to provide the safe passage for users and reactive maintenance is an essential element in meeting this duty. Defects will inevitably form on parts of the highway network at some point in time and very often these defects will develop very quickly requiring a reactive response. Reactive maintenance is generally considered to be an inefficient use of resources and as such aiming to target planned and preventative maintenance programmes to reduce reactive repairs and protect limited revenue budgets is a guiding principle of good asset management that we try to adhere to. For example, our surface treatment programmes are intended to seal road surfaces from the elements and prevent potholes forming in the first place. Our commitment to fixing drainage defects is another example where the effective use of capital funding can save the need for reactive repairs.

Condition of local roads

‘A’ Roads are by far our busiest roads primarily handling large volumes of traffic travelling longer distances. They are important roads that link large towns and cities and connect to other major routes.

The condition of York’s A Roads can be compared with the regional average and average for England based on the results of the two latest SCANNER surveys. York’s A Roads are in good condition with only 2 – 3% rated as needing consideration for maintenance. Our A Road condition is similar to our neighbouring councils and aligned with the regional and England averages.

Condition data is collected across the full A road network every year and is then used to develop Highways Annual Maintenance Programmes.

Please note: Data between 2019 and 2023 was collected using survey types that don't produce outputs that can be compared or meet the requirements of the DfT to inform National Indicators (130-01).

Since 2023 we have completed additional surveys on our A, B and C roads that produce outputs that can be reported to DfT and allow us to better compare and benchmark performance with other councils.

B and C Roads are less busy than A Roads, and generally link smaller settlements and carry traffic between A Roads and smaller local roads, acting as a connecting network. C Roads carry less traffic and are often found in rural areas.

The condition of York’s B and C Roads can be compared with the regional average and average for England based on the results of the two latest SCANNER surveys (see link to road condition statistic tables under road condition monitoring below). York’s B and C Roads are in good condition with only 4% rated as needing consideration for maintenance. Our B and C Road condition is similar to our neighbouring councils, is aligned with the regional average and is better than the England average of 7%.

Condition data is collected across the full B and C road network every year and is then used to develop Highways Annual Maintenance Programmes.

Please note: Data between 2019 and 2023 was collected using survey types that don't produce outputs that can be compared or meet the requirements of the DfT to inform National Indicators (130-02).

Since 2023 we have completed additional surveys on our A, B and C roads that produce outputs that can be reported to DfT and allow us to better compare and benchmark performance with other councils.

Unclassified Roads or U Roads are less used local roads intended for local traffic. In urban areas and villages these are typically residential or industrial streets usually with a 30mph speed limit or lower. In rural areas U Roads link small villages and other settlements with busier classified roads and also provide access to individual properties and land. The vast majority (60%) of roads in the UK fall within the U Road category.

The condition of York’s U Roads can be compared with the regional average and average for England based on the results of condition surveys completed since 2021 (see link to road condition statistic tables under road condition monitoring below). The majority of York’s Unclassified Roads are generally in good condition however a higher percentage are rated as needing consideration for maintenance as compared to the classified road network. Our U Road condition isn’t as good as our neighbouring councils and at 19% is slightly higher than both the regional and England average of 17% recorded in 2023/2024 (2024/2025 results are yet to be released).

One way we are addressing the decline in road condition on our U Road network is by increasing the proportion of preventative maintenance surface treatments across the whole network but with a focus on including more U Roads on each Annual Highway Maintenance Programme. Surface Dressing and other similar surface treatments are cost effective treatments that are generally quick and easy to complete meaning less disruption to residents and road users. The aim of these treatments is to seal road surfaces just at the right time before cracks and other damaged areas can form into potholes. When sites are selected and prepared effectively treatments can last from 8 to 10 years delaying the need for more invasive and costly treatments like resurfacing.

Condition data is collected across the full Unclassified road network every year and is then used to develop Highways Annual Maintenance Programmes.

Please notes Data between 2019 and 2022 was collected using survey types that don't produce outputs that can be compared or meet the requirements of the DfT to inform National Indicators (BV224b).

In 2022 we began using a new Asset Management System (AMS) that is able to analyse condition data and provide outputs that can be reported to DfT and allow us to better compare and benchmark performance with other councils.

City of York Council completes condition surveys of its full road network yearly. The outputs from these surveys are used to produce National and Local Indicators that we provide to DfT and use to compare and benchmark our performance with other authorities. Data from condition surveys is uploaded into our AMS where we are able to visualise the assets and create lifecycle plans that assist in developing future works programmes.

Condition data is also made available to residents and businesses via York Open Data with Transport being one of many data topics containing a multitude or datasets relevant to the services the council provides.

Road condition monitoring

Road condition assessments on the local classified road network in England are currently made predominantly using Surface Condition Assessment for the National Network of Roads (SCANNER) laser-based technology.

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

• Green – No further investigation or treatment required
• Amber – Maintenance may be required soon
• Red – Should be considered for maintenance

From 2026 to 2027 a new methodology will be used based on the BSI PAS2161 standard. Local Highway Authorities will be required to use a supplier that has been accredited against PAS2161. This new standard will categorise roads into five categories instead of three to help government gain a more detailed understanding of road condition in England. More information produced by the Department for Transport is available online relating to the condition of local authority managed roads.

Additional information on condition

Drainage - The council recognises the high importance of drainage in maintaining its roads and other highway assets used by its residents and visitors to the city. Effective drainage is critical to ensuring the controlled removal of water to primarily allow users to move around the city safely. We also know that drainage has a significant effect on the performance of our highway assets and in particular our roads: Here, freeze and thaw conditions during the winter months and the hydraulic action of traffic tyres combined with standing water can readily turn small defects in road surfaces into potholes.

Our Annual Highway Maintenance Programmes include £1,000k specifically targeted on drainage. Our teams are proactively prioritising the known drainage and highway flooding issues across the City, targeting the cause of the drainage issues rather than just the symptoms. Additionally, in line with good asset management principles, we ensure that any drainage repairs and/or improvements are completed in advance or as part of all major highway maintenance schemes delivered in any given year: This not only serves to address known drainage issues but seeks to gain the best life from the newly delivered scheme to provide many years of trouble-free use.

Plans

Overall strategy

Asset management principles are at the heart of City of York Council's approach to safely managing, maintaining and improving the highway network asset base and will help us to reduce our impact on the environment.

York’s highways are a publicly accessible and highly valued asset, and the Authority is dedicated to providing users with a high-quality, sustainable highway network that serves the needs of its residents and stakeholders whilst promoting tourism and supporting business growth.

Asset management principles enable informed decision-making about investment and maintenance financing; they help us to direct resources where they are most efficiently deployed and enable the identification and management of risks associated with the legal obligations of City of York Council has to manage and maintain its highway assets. This approach will ensure that the highway network meets the needs and expectations of the present day and is fit for future generations.

The council published its Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan (HIAMP) in 2021 that promotes the latest best practice guidance published by the UK Road Liaison Group (UKRLG). The guidance in the ‘Highways Infrastructure Asset Management Guidance Document’ presents fourteen recommendations as the minimum requirement to demonstrate good practice in highways asset management. Within the HIAMP the Council refers to these recommendations and describes its approach with regard each element.

Innovation and efficiency - The council has invested in the latest Asset Management Systems (AMS) which it continues to develop to provide the best possible outputs that inform future (multi-year) maintenance programmes and allow scenario analysis of investment profiles and maintenance strategies. Specialist software within the AMS package is being used to identify defect hot spots or clusters which in turn are used as a priority factor when developing programmes of work. The expectation in targeting defect cluster sites is to see a reduction in reactive maintenance works and a corresponding relief on pressured Revenue budgets. In the coming year we will be working with our providers to develop carbon monitoring to allow different treatment options to be assessed for their environmental impacts and to be used as evidence to support our carbon reduction aspirations.

Our Road Condition Surveys use artificial intelligence, combining video data and analytics to assess road condition offering many advantages including:

• annual 100% survey coverage (other more costly survey methods limiting coverage to 50% or even 25% of the network each year)
• condition data imported directly into AMS to inform lifecycle planning, development of forward works programmes, scenario planning and more
• low cost (as above allowing full network survey)
• ease of surveying using normal smart phone camera
• also assesses all road marking conditions
• collects asset data [inventory] such as traffic signs and other street furniture,
• spatial web-based software with multiple user logins (use not limited to highway maintenance – Transport Planning, Design and others)
• ability to view video of latest surveys often negating the need for a site visit
• currently developing surveys of remote/off road cycle routes to provide same level of detail as roads for these important assets
• condition surveys carried out using a bicycle with smart phone mount
• ability to log/tag spot defects during the survey (via the press of a button) and run a report afterwards to inform reactive maintenance
• potential to develop use to support safety condition inspections

Specific plans for 2025/2026

The council published its Highways Annual Maintenance Programme for the current 2025 to 2026 financial year in March. The report details our approach to managing and maintaining the highway network and includes programmes of work for all highway assets in the relevant annexes. In 2025 to 2026 Members approved additional budgets totalling £5,070k for Highways more than doubling the capital allocation from the DfT demonstrating the council’s commitment to its transport infrastructure. More informationon the different treatments we plan to deliver this year are avilable online.

In 2025 to 2026 the council expects to complete over 6km of resurfacing and reconstruction to repair many of our roads in poorest condition. We will be completing almost 11km of surface dressing on roads around the city to seal, restore grip and extend their life: These are low-cost preventative maintenance treatments offering excellent value and saving money in the long term by preventing further damage to road surfaces that would inevitably require much more expensive work if left untreated. This year the council also intends to complete a small in-situ recycling programme, this is another cost effective and low-carbon treatment aimed at making the road last longer, all without needing a more expensive resurfacing.

With regards our Active Travel assets that are an important part of the city’s transport network, we plan to resurface or reconstruct approximately 2.3km of footways and cycleways and complete surface treatments on a further 2.7km across the city.

The council is responsible for 86No highway bridges which are routinely inspected on a rolling cyclical basis. The formal inspection of a highway structure provides information on both the current structural condition and any other maintenance issues at individual highway structures. In the coming year we will continue with our statutory inspections whilst also completing any general maintenance work as required. .

Streetworks

Efficient and effective transport networks play a vital role in delivering economic success and in both stimulating and enabling economic development. Roads enable economic growth by connecting companies to their employees, suppliers and customers.

York is a vibrant, prosperous and growing city that continues to attract new residents and businesses. Tourism, retail and hospitality sectors are thriving, and a strong focus remains on growing well paid employment on the back of university-driven sector growth.

However, with growth inevitably come roadworks with the demands on our highway network keeping pace as utilities seek to upgrade existing or install additional assets to serve new infrastructure, often along key busy transport routes. The construction of new infrastructure itself creates pressures on our highway network where ‘new and old’ meet often requiring significant changes to existing road layouts with associated disruption.

Coordinating these growth-related works with the normal day-to-day demands on road space, including our own maintenance operations, requires constant effort. To minimize disruption from road and street works, City of York council uses a street works permit scheme, requiring all works on public roads to obtain a permit. This allows for proactive management, including coordinating works, setting conditions on how and when they are carried out, and providing local notices. Additionally, the Council uses the national platforms Street Manager and One Network to plan and manage roadworks, further enhancing coordination and reducing disruption. In order to better coordinate, plan and manage works on the network ‘coordination comms’ meetings are held with all stakeholders, statutory undertakers and internal service teams at regular intervals.

An overview of works in York during the 2024 to 2025 year include:

• 12,369 permit applications submitted
• 7,787 permit applications granted
• 11,510 occupancy days on the network (approx. 3,000 streets)
• 27 new development sites (including Station gateway and York Central)
• 368 Major schemes

Climate change, resilience and adaptation

City of York Council is taking a leading role in tackling climate change. It aims to reduce corporate carbon emissions to Net Zero by 2030 and is continually adapting operations and services to be climate ready. The Council’s Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan is underpinned by a robust (and emerging) evidence base, including a Net Zero Carbon Pathway and a climate change risk and vulnerability assessment (CCRVA).

The CCRVA identifies key risks posed to the highway network from climate change under various scenarios. Dryer, hotter summers and wetter, warmer winters will bring increasing challenges, including fluvial and surface water flooding, extreme heat and drought. The Council is already seeing the impact of climate change on its highways network through things like melting road surfaces and subsidence. Other risks identified include those that impede highway services and operations, including the impact on staff, and on operational sites and equipment.

Examples of climate action include the ongoing decarbonisation of the council’s fleet, street lighting and operational buildings LED replacement programme:

• 75% of York’s 20,000 street lights now converted to LED
• LED replacement programmes ongoing for 11 years since 2014
• in 2024/2025, 41% of Council Fleet, operating in York, are ultra-low emission electric and hybrid vehicles (rising from 5.8% in 2020/2021)
• trialling the use of cold lay materials from several suppliers to reduce our need for traditionally heated tarmac products for reactive maintenance
• recycling planings to be used as binder materials in footways and other low stress areas (patching)
• low temperature asphalts specified on resurfacing schemes where appropriate
• targeted increase in low-carbon preventative maintenance treatments with larger surface dressing programmes year-on-year and the introduction of recycling schemes in both urban and rural settings
• exploring the use of preservers and rejuvenators that enhance the durability of asphalt surfaces and reverse the detrimental impact of weather on our roads, preventing cracks and other defects which lead to potholes

Additional information

York’s Local Transport Strategy outlines the council’s ambitious approach to connect all of our communities with high quality sustainable travel options. Core to this strategy is the understanding that transport is not simply about getting people from A to B but it is also about what happens along the way.

We are developing an inclusive and sustainable travel network, increasing connectivity by prioritising walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport, whilst maintaining accessibility for essential car journeys and moving goods around our city. Delivering this transport transition will also reduce carbon emissions, clean York’s air and help people live healthier and longer lives. Our streets will be safer and our communities will be better connected, bringing genuine sustainable travel choices and greater independence for everyone, including residents, people who work in the city and visitors.

The Local Transport Strategy also recognises that our journeys don’t stop at the city’s boundary. As part of the Combined Authority of York & North Yorkshire we have an exciting opportunity to expand our horizons and strengthen connectivity across the north of England.

• Local Transport Strategy 2024 to 2040
• Local Transport Strategy Implementation Plan 2024 to 2026

Also see

• Streets, roads and pavements
• Roadworks
• Temporary traffic restrictions