Local highways maintenance transparency report - Plans

Overall strategy

Walsall Council is committed to a highway asset management approach for the long-term maintenance if its highway infrastructure assets. Methodologies comply with national guidance and best practice, including the recommendations set out in the DfT’s and UK Roads Liaison Groups ‘Well Managed Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice’ published October 2016.

Highways asset management planning has been developed in Walsall with support from specialist asset management consultants and is designed to complement the council’s corporate goals and visions set out in the ‘Council Plan 2022 – 2025’ and ‘We Are Walsall 2040 – Our Future, Our Borough’. 

Asset management planning also supports the regional objectives and priorities developed by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and Transport for the West Midlands (TfWM), who coordinate and manage Traffic and Transportation policy and strategy for the West Midlands Key Route Network (KRN) within a cohesive and structured framework. 

Walsall’s key asset management planning document suite comprising of: Highway Asset Management Policy (HAMP), Highway Asset Management Strategy (HAMS) and Highway Maintenance Management Plan (HMMP). These documents are reviewed annually and are published on the council’s website.

The council works closely with its West Midlands neighbouring authorities through the Highways Infrastructure Managers Group (HIMG) forum, and the Combined Authority to keep pace with the latest asset management innovations and emerging technologies.

In recent years this has included the development of shared procurement and contract mechanisms; creation of a central data repository; joint technology resources and database developments; collaborative funding bids; integrated process/material innovation trials across the region; joint strategies, service standards, and cross boundary initiatives. 

Increased collaboration has provided favourable economies of scale and increased efficiency opportunities to reduce exposure to risk by adopting consistent standards and shared service levels across the region.

Specific plans for 2025/26

Walsall’s structural and preventative highway maintenance resurfacing programmes are published on-line annually.  

The council aims to implement a balanced maintenance strategy designed to remedy structural deterioration using resurfacing schemes where assessments and risk dictates needs, supported by focussed preventative maintenance programmes designed to extend the serviceable life of highway surfaces in accordance with lifecycle planning principles.

Works programmes are compiled using Walsall Council cabinet approved methodologies which risk assesses various: condition, hierarchy/usage, social, economic and other miscellaneous engineering related parameters to prioritise current and future needs.

During 2025/26 Walsall’s provisional maintenance programmes aim to: 

• Resurface around 6 miles of carriageways investing £3.6million
• Surface treat and protect around 7 miles of carriageways investing £1.0million
• Reconstruct around 2 miles of footways investing £0.6million
• In addition, the council aims deliver 9 major projects for highway structures, investing around £0.8million for the works provisionally planned

With specific regard to potholes, Walsall Council acknowledges the recommendations set out in Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP) ‘Prevention and a Better Cure’ which advocates three core drivers for efficient operational practices:

• Prevention is better than cure – intervening at the right time will reduce the number of potholes forming and prevent bigger problems later
• Right first time – do it once and get it right, rather than face continuous bills
• Clarity for the public – local highway authorities need to communicate to the public what is being done and how it’s being done

The council undertakes structured highway safety inspections across the borough to identify defects including potholes, and brings in a specialist Velocity Patch repair contractor, prior to and after, the most severe winter weather window each year to tackle the increased number of repairs caused by frost and ice.

Any streets suffering large numbers of potholes are analysed within the council’s methodologies for structural or preventative maintenance programmes where risk applies.  Depending on the severity of weather conditions, it is estimated that up to 5,000 potholes could need attention during 2025/26.  Engineers believe that Velocity Patch repairs offer the fastest, most durable and cost-effective solution for meeting the requirements set out in prevailing best practice guidance.

Streetworks

Walsall carefully coordinates street works to minimise disruptions, ensuring efficient resource management and shared road space accessibility. The council adheres to statutory guidelines, including the New Roads and Street Works Act (NRSWA) 1991, Highways and Utilities Commissions (HAUC) Guidance Procedures 2025, and the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Code of Practice for Street Works Inspections 2023, which outline the responsibilities of utility companies and the regulatory duties of the Highway Authority.

To effectively oversee street works, Walsall operates a permit scheme system, enabling thorough monitoring and management of activities. The council utilises up-to-date traffic management information, including lane closures, with timely notifications published on its website, press releases, and social media platforms to keep stakeholders informed.