Highways asset management funding

The repair of potholes and stopping them from forming is one element to improve the condition for all road users. Well maintained highways not only improve local productivity but also the environment (by reducing delays), and makes cycling, walking more attractive. The Government is providing guidance and funding to highway authorities like Wakefield to ensure that our local roads and other highway assets are fit for the future.

Highways assets include carriageways, footways, structures and bridges, street lighting, and other street furniture such as signage and traffic signals.

Funding for highways maintenance comes from a number of sources, including the Department for Transport and also from internal Council budgets. These funding arrangements are:

Department for Transport (DfT) Funding

The Department of Transport (DfT) provides the following annual allocations to maintain the highway network:

Local Highways Maintenance Funding – 'Needs Based Formula'

This fund is allocated on a 'formula based' approach which is calculated using data provided by each local authority relating to the assets that authority is responsible for. Wakefield Council receives £3,441,000 from the government to maintain the highways assets.

Incentive Fund

In December 2014, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that £6 billion would be made available between 2015-16 and 2020-21 for local highways maintenance funding.

Of this, £578 million has been set aside for an incentive fund scheme to reward councils that demonstrate that they are following an asset management approach and adopting efficiency and best practice principles for local highway maintenance.

The funding is additional to the 'Needs Element' funding award explained above.

DfT Incentive Funding is awarded annually based on the performance of the Council's highway service against five key areas; asset management policy and strategy, communications, performance management and maintenance, asset data management and lifecycle planning.

Wakefield Council has been assessed as a 'Band 3' performing Authority and as such has achieved 100% of the available Incentive Fund allocation. This means that Wakefield Council receives £723,000 additional funding.

Pothole Action Fund

In November 2015, a further £250 million was allocated by the DfT for pothole repairs and measures to stop them forming in the first place. Wakefield Council has received £260,000 from the Pothole Action Fund which has been used to respond to defects in the roads through traditional potholes repairs and patching schemes.

National £420 million October 2018 Budget Announcement for Local Highways Maintenance schemes 

The Government made a further allocation in the October 2018 Budget of £420m across the country for Local Highways Maintenance schemes. Of this total sum, Wakefield Council was awarded £1.896 million.  A package of surfacing schemes was identified for completion in 2018/19 and 2019/20.  

View the list of schemes to be delivered with these additional funds and what has been completed to date on this table 

Wakefield Council Internal Capital Investment

The highway network is one of the District's key assets and it is essential in serving the everyday needs of the local community, business users, partners, visitors and commuters.

Wakefield Council decided on the 11 September 2018 that additional funding was required to supplement the aforementioned national funds to achieve the ambition to reduce the significant deterioration in highway condition, support the economy and growth agenda and to bring about much-needed relief from 'potholes' and congestion for highway users. The Council approved an investment of £15 million over 5 years in highways asset maintenance.

Further information about highways asset management, policy, strategy and programme.