Shropshire Council Prioritizes Modern Highways Contract and Local Flood Resilience

A Multihog planer machine used to repair a road near Stapleton in Shropshire. Picture: LDRS

Shropshire Council is placing a strong emphasis on developing a new highways contract managed by in-house teams and leveraging modern technologies.

In a report submitted to full council ahead of the September 25 meeting, Councillor Heather Kidd, leader of the Liberal Democrat administration, outlined plans for highways and flood response services that are locally engaged, responsive, and focused on preventative measures. This includes ensuring that all road defects are repaired in a single visit.

Improving communication with residents regarding road closures and issues is also a short-term priority, alongside investing in streetlight repairs and accelerating the transition to LED lighting.

Councillor Kidd detailed the administration’s key initiatives, including:

• Developing a new highways service contract focused on efficiency, in-house delivery, and cost control.

• Partnering with town and parish councils to maintain highways and the local streetscape.

• Enhancing major engineering schemes and maintenance for A-, B-, and C-roads.

• Ensuring all road defects are addressed in one visit.

• Upgrading drainage infrastructure to reduce flooding and road damage.

• Expanding the in-house flood risk management team for both design and live response.

• Establishing community flood response groups with local contacts and safe gathering points.

• Supporting the River Severn Valley Water Management Scheme as a national case study.

• Implementing an up-river preventative strategy in collaboration with farmers, landowners, and flood groups.

• Partnering with the Environment Agency on urban flood resilience projects.

• Deploying sensors on at-risk gullies and supporting volunteer flood response teams.

• Setting up emergency hubs and enhancing the capacity of the land drainage team.

  
  

Highlighting the administration’s achievements in its first 100 days after taking office in May, Councillor Kidd reported that 7,970 potholes have been filled, reducing outstanding repairs by 55% compared to the same period last year. An additional pothole repair team has been deployed to focus on unclassified country lanes, repairing more than 500 potholes since late June. The council has also carried out a major repair and future-proofing scheme on the A488 at Hope Valley following five landslips.

Councillor Kidd’s report forms part of a wider document, ‘A New Direction for Shropshire,’ which outlines how the administration intends to fulfill its manifesto commitments over the next four years while developing a new local plan.