Underperforming Councils Offered Free Highway Maintenance Reviews

Local authorities in England with the lowest highway maintenance ratings are being offered free external reviews as part of a new support programme.

The 13 councils currently rated “red” for their performance will be eligible for peer-led assessments organised by the Local Government Association (LGA) during the 2026/27 financial year.

The LGA has already begun discussions with councils that have shown interest and is now seeking experienced professionals to take part in delivering the reviews.

These types of assessments were more common in the past under the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP), which ran between 2012 and 2018. During that period, 31 strategic reviews were completed, with each costing councils over £13,000. Since HMEP ended, such reviews have taken place far less frequently.

The current initiative has been commissioned by the Department for Transport (DfT), with the aim of helping selected authorities improve how they plan and manage highway maintenance services. According to the LGA, the programme will focus on strengthening leadership, operational performance and long-term strategy.

The DfT has confirmed that all 13 eligible councils have already been invited to participate. However, involvement is optional, and there are no penalties for authorities that decide not to take part.

Funding of £300,000 has been allocated to deliver the programme this year, with all reviews expected to be completed before the end of the financial year.

A DfT spokesperson said the initiative is intended to help councils make better use of a wider £7.3 billion investment in local roads, while also increasing accountability through its recently introduced performance ratings system.

The LGA said it aims to carry out all 13 reviews using its existing peer network, while continuing to recruit additional expertise where needed. It acknowledged that delivering this number of reviews within a single year would be more ambitious than previous programmes.

The performance ratings themselves—categorising councils as red, amber or green—have attracted criticism within the sector. Some industry figures have raised concerns about inconsistencies in the data submitted by councils, which was used to determine the rankings.

Story originally appeared: https://www.highwaysmagazine.co.uk/news/local-road-network/dft-offers-free-peer-reviews-councils-red-rating