The Department for Transport expects all local highways authorities to publish information about their highways maintenance activities to help local taxpayers see the difference that funding is making in their areas. This report details activity in the Bracknell Forest Council area.
Our highway network
Bracknell was constructed as a New Town from the late 1950s. While the characteristic planned dual carriageways, roundabouts, subways, cycle routes, and distributor roads of the Bracknell New Town could still be considered modern in relative terms, much of the infrastructure is now over 70 years old which presents unique maintenance challenges. In contrast, the towns of Crowthorne and Sandhurst, and the borough’s surrounding villages are generally built around more historic street settings, often requiring a different and more sympathetic approach to highway maintenance.
The council produce a Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan (HIAMP) which sets out the vision for improvements in the management, operation and funding of the Bracknell Forest highway network.
The table below shows the lengths of roads and footways which the council maintain. A table detailing all of the council's Highway assets can be found in the document Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan (HIAMP) 2022.
In addition to the reported road and footway lengths, the council manage 193 structures, 21,598 gullies and 14,138 lighting columns to name but a few of the additional assets.
Lengths of highway, footways and cycleways in kilometres (km)
| A roads | B and C roads | U roads | Total roads | Footways | Other public rights of way | Cycleways |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51.2km | 108.9km | 323.2km | 483.4km | 591.5km | 80km | 534.06km |
The council also produce a Highway Management and Maintenance Plan (HMMP) which outlines the policies, strategies and processes which shape the way the council will manage the routine highways maintenance service.
View the Highway Management and Maintenance Plan (HMMP) 2023.
Highways maintenance spending figures
| Year | Capital allocated by DfT (£,000s) | Capital spend (£,000s) | Revenue spend (£,000s) | Estimate of % spent on preventative maintenance | Estimate of % spent on reactive maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 to 2026 | £3,293 | £6,929 | £2,391 | 30.4% | 25.7% |
| 2024 to 2025 | £2,392 | £6,183 | £2,383 | 16.5% | 27.8% |
| 2023 to 2024 | £2,392 | £3,575 | £2,661 | 7.7% | 42.7% |
| 2022 to 2023 | £2,124 | £3,138 | £2,680 | 8.4% | 46.1% |
| 2021 to 2022 | £2,124 | £2,229 | £2,384 | 7.6% | 51.7% |
| 2020 to 2021 | £2,757 | £2,254 | £1,895 | 0% | 45.7% |
Note: Surface dressing treatments are considered preventative maintenance for the purpose of this table. The preventative maintenance budget in 2020 to 2021 was incorporated within the Local Enterprise Partnership funded schemes on Downshire Way and A3095 - hence no preventative maintenance was programmed for that financial year.
Capital spend
Our annual programme of planned highway maintenance varies each year dependent upon the changing needs of the various highway assets. However, a capital works programme to maintain carriageway, footways, structures, drainage and electrical assets will always feature. These works are funded by a combination of Department for Transport (DfT) Capital Grants and the council’s own Capital Programme funding. The allocated budget and detail of the work programmes are approved by the council's Cabinet in March each year. The following will take you to these reports over the past 6 years:
- Issue details - Highways and Transport Capital Programme 2020 to 2021
- Issue details - Highways and Transport Capital Programme 2021 to 2022
- Issue details - Highways and Transport Capital Programme 2022 to 2023
- Issue details - Highways and Transport Capital Programme 2023 to 2024
- Issue details - Highways and Transport Capital Programme 2024 to 2025
- Issue details - Highways and Transport Capital Programme 2025 to 2026
In 2025 to 2026 it is expected that:
- 4.8km of carriageway will be resurfaced using the inlay method - removing to top layer of the old surface and replacing it with a new surface - view our Resurfacing leaflet (PDF, 0.25MB)
- 5.4km of carriageway will be surface treated using reinforced micro asphalt (a thin layer of a bituminous emulsion mixed with aggregate is laid on top of the existing surface to extend its life expectancy) - view our Micro-surfacing leaflet (PDF, 1.48MB)
- 5.8km of carriageway will be surface dressed. (spraying the existing surface with a thin layer of bitumen, followed by spreading stone chippings on top of the existing surface to extend its life expectancy) - view our Surface Dressing leaflet (PDF, 0.93MB)
- 4 structures will have waterproofing protection work
- 4 structures will have renewed parapet works
- 3 other structures will have repairs undertaken to maintain their integrity
- a lamp column replacement programme will continue
- drainage improvement schemes aimed at preventing localised flooding
Revenue spend
The council’s revenue budget is used for reactive maintenance. The term 'reactive maintenance' covers all aspects of the day-to-day management and maintenance of the highway asset. The revenue budget covers items such as the following:
- large and small scale carriageway patching and pothole repairs (see table below)
- footway repairs and patching
- road signs
- road markings
- gully cleaning and pipe jetting
- fencing and safety barriers
- verge repairs
- tree and vegetation cutting
- street lighting repairs
- cyclical maintenance on the higher speed dual carriageways
Estimate of number of potholes filled
| 2021 to 2022 | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 | 2024 to 2025 | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 740 | 755 | 1255 | 1007 | 1100 estimate |
Condition of local roads
Road condition assessments on the local classified road network in England (including the roads within Bracknell Forest) are predominantly undertaken using Surface Condition Assessment for the National Network of Roads (SCANNER) laser-based technology. These surveys are undertaken annually.
A number of parameters measured by these surveys are used to produce a road condition indicator which is categorised into 3 categories:
Green – generally in a good state of repair with no further investigation or treatment required at this time.
Amber – some deterioration is apparent which should be investigated to determine the optimum time for planned maintenance work.
Red – should be considered for maintenance within an upcoming programme due to the extent of carriageway surface that requires repair.
The A, B and C road condition data is collected by a specialised contractor on an annual basis. The SCANNER data is collected between spring and autumn, but at different times each year to allow for differing weather and fluctuating road conditions.
The tables below give details of the split of road condition over the Bracknell Forest Council area.
Percentage of A roads in each condition category
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 to 2021 | 3.1% | 22.3% | 74.6% |
| 2021 to 2022 | 5.2% | 22.0% | 72.7% |
| 2022 to 2023 | 5.5% | 22.6% | 71.9% |
| 2023 to 2024 | 7.2% | 27.1% | 65.8% |
| 2024 to 2025 | 6.4% | 23.6% | 70% |
The data above shows that the condition of A roads has worsened between 2021 and 2024 but has more recently started to improve.
Percentage of B and C roads in each condition category
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 to 2021 | 2.4% | 22.9% | 74.7% |
| 2021 to 2022 | 3.3% | 17.5% | 79.2% |
| 2022 to 2023 | 3.2% | 18.8% | 78.0% |
| 2023 to 2024 | 3.7% | 20.8% | 75.5% |
| 2024 to 2025 | 3.3% | 19.4% | 77.3% |
The data above shows that the condition of the B and C road network has been very consistent over the past 4 years.
The borough’s U roads are surveyed bi-annually, with the north of the borough surveyed one year and the south the next year - on an ongoing basis. A specialist contractor visits each road and visually inspects the road, known as a Coarse Visual Inspection (CVI) survey.
Percentage of U Roads in the Red category
| Year | Red |
|---|---|
| 2020 to 2021 | 12% |
| 2021 to 2022 | 14% |
| 2022 to 2023 | 23% |
| 2023 to 2024 | 19% |
| 2024 to 2025 | 14% |
The data above shows that the condition of U roads is very consistent with the exception of 2022 to 2023 which represents an anomaly in the data, possibly due to the COVID pandemic preventing maintenance works within residential areas during the preceding years.
Additional information on condition
The council is committed to a consistent, proactive approach, managing the unique maintenance impacts of the Bracknell New Town. For example, all of the 83 subways were built in a relatively short period and as such are all aging together and approaching the end of their design life. This is also true for many of the carriageway, footways and almost every highway asset within the new town area footprint.
Overall strategy
The term ‘asset management’ is a means to deliver a more efficient and effective approach to the maintenance of highway infrastructure assets through long-term planning, making sure that standards are defined and achievable for available budgets. It supports making the case for funding alongside better communication with stakeholders, facilitating a greater understanding of the contribution highway infrastructure assets make to economic growth and the needs of local communities.
The HIAMP sets out the vision for improvements in the management, operation and funding of the Bracknell Forest highway network. The council is committed to a consistent, proactive approach which develops strong investment strategies to prolong the life of our entire highway infrastructure. Our approach seeks to:
- make the most efficient use of maintenance funding by prioritising timely interventions, while targeting further relevant funding opportunities where available
- develop an asset management approach, with associated business processes and systems, as it is essential to have a thorough and up-to date knowledge of the assets involved
It is also key that up-to-date asset data for the network is stored within management information systems that can evaluate and prioritise our work on a regular basis. In order to make sure there is a responsible approach to asset maintenance, including the need to demonstrate value for money, the council’s decisions and actions must be evidence-led.
The HIAMP seeks to reflect the need to manage all highway assets over the life-cycle of the individual components; balancing our budgets and priorities based on the most economically advantageous approach, taking into account, so far as possible, future developments in the network and the technology used to support it.
The council’s 4 core objectives for highway maintenance are:
- safety
- customer service
- serviceability
- sustainability
Specific plans for 2025 to 2026
In addition to the information provided earlier on this web page for the proposed 2025 to 2026 capital programme for planned maintenance, the Renewing road surfaces page provides specific detail of the carriageway maintenance programmes.
In summary, the council will be resurfacing (using inlay) 4.8km of carriageway, 5.4km of carriageway will be surface treated using reinforced micro asphalt and 5.8km of carriageway will be surface dressed. It is anticipated that 30.4 % of the £9.32 million budget will be spent on preventative maintenance measures and 25.7% will be spent on reactive maintenance.
Streetworks
We have a duty, under Section 59 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, to co-ordinate all works on the highway. In addition, section 16 of the Traffic Management Act 2004, requires the Highway Authority to manage our road network, with a view to achieving, so far as may be reasonably practicable, the following overriding objectives:
- securing the expeditious movement of traffic on the authority’s road network
- facilitating the expeditious movement of traffic on road networks for which another authority is the traffic authority
Strong co-ordination and management by the Highway Authority is essential to minimise traffic disruption, while allowing organisations the necessary time and space to finish their activities safely.
The council's Highways Network Management team operate a street works permit scheme to co-ordinate all planned works on the public highway. All information on current and planned permits are published on the council's One-network web page.
The strategic objectives for the permit scheme are taken from the council’s Local Transport Plan. They are to:
- reduce delays associated with traffic congestion and improve reliability of journey times
- maintain and improve the local transport network
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport
- reduce casualties and improve safety on the local transport network
The specific practical day-to-day objectives for the permit scheme are to:
- reduce occupation of the highway to benefit all highway users
- improve safety of all highway users at road and street activities
- enhance the reliability of journey times
- enhance the journey experience
- gain greater control of all activities on the public highway
- minimise, avoid or manage delays to all highway users
- improve public perception of managing highway activities
- reinforce co-ordination of all activities on the highway
- reduce long term damage to the highway asset
- encourage collaborative working between all activity promoters
- achieve an improvement in air quality
- demonstrate parity for all activity promoters
- strengthen cross-boundary co-operation
Climate change, resilience and adaptation
Decarbonising highway maintenance activities involves a multi-faceted approach to reduce carbon emissions across all stages of road construction, maintenance, and operation, ultimately aiming for net-zero emissions. This includes using low-carbon materials, optimising construction processes, transitioning to electric vehicles and plant, and improving overall efficiency.
Decarbonising highway maintenance faces numerous challenges including the uncertainty of low-carbon materials' long-term performance, higher upfront costs compared to traditional methods and the need for industry-wide changes in standards and procurement. Funding constraints and a backlog of repairs also hinder strategic, long-term investment.
The increase in severe weather events also places greater pressure on highway assets and this can accelerate deterioration. Furthermore, the aging infrastructure and increasing traffic loads accelerate road wear and tear. These combined circumstances will require more reactive and potentially less cost-effective maintenance.
Bracknell Forest Council’s Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) and related strategies emphasise strong commitments to climate change mitigation, carbon savings, and decarbonisation.