Shropshire Council Calls for Greater Value and Local Control Over Highways Contract

Shropshire Council says more must be achieved from its multi-million-pound contract to maintain the county’s roads, as councillors review the performance of contractor Kier and plan the future of local highway services.

Last April, the council confirmed that Kier would continue delivering highways maintenance for an additional year, extending the agreement through to April 2026. Two further one-year extensions remain possible, potentially taking the partnership to March 2028.

The announcement followed praise for the council’s “mixed economy model”, under which smaller maintenance works are handled directly by the council, while larger projects remain under Kier’s remit. According to the authority, this approach has cut the average pothole repair cost by 66% over the past four years — below the national average — and reduced the number of defects on A and B roads.

At that time, Shropshire Council was under Conservative control. However, the Liberal Democrats took over following local elections just a month later.

Presenting a report titled “A New Direction for Shropshire” to full council last month, council leader Heather Kiddoutlined plans to create a highways and flood response service that is local, responsive, and prevention-focused. Key goals include repairing all road defects in a single visit, improving communication with residents about road closures, and investing in streetlight upgrades and LED conversions.

While Kier’s current performance and future role were discussed privately during Cabinet’s meeting on October 15, the administration has made clear that further improvement is needed.

Councillor David Vasmer, portfolio holder for highways, said in a public statement:

“The Liberal Democrat administration recognises that highways are critically important for our residents and remain one of our top priorities. While the Kier contract hasn’t met expectations in all areas, recent changes show our determination to improve.We’ll continue working with Kier where they deliver efficiency, value for money, and quality, while developing our next service model. The one-year extension allows us to design a future approach that gives the council greater control and increases collaboration with local contractors and parish councils.”

Council leader Cllr Kidd added:

“It’s vital that residents see real improvements on the ground. We’re reviewing our contracts to ensure they deliver the best results — and changing them where necessary to get maximum value.”

The Economy and Environment Scrutiny Committee recently reviewed Kier’s contract as part of a “task and finish” investigation, whose findings helped shape Cabinet’s recommendations.

Committee chair Cllr Ed Potter said:

“The scrutiny group has worked closely with officers to better understand highway services and Kier’s contribution to service transformation. However, more time will be needed to refine future working arrangements — particularly the roles of town and parish councils in the new model.”