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.
Our core report below explains the overview of the work we do as the highway authority to manage and maintain roads across the county. The Technical annex document is available at the bottom to give further details around the different areas of highways works.
Core report
A1 - What we are responsible for
We are responsible for maintaining:
- carriageways - 4,092 km
- footways - 3,984 km
- structures - 882 (recorded in the West Sussex County Council asset inventory/register)
- drainage gullies - 144,158 (recorded in the West Sussex County Council asset inventory/register)
- street lighting - 69,700 (recorded in the West Sussex County Council asset inventory/register)
- signalised crossings and pedestrian crossings - 719 (recorded in the West Sussex County Council asset inventory/register)
We also look after other parts of the highway, including road signs, road markings, trees, grass verges and public rights of way.
Looking after more than 4,000 kilometres of roads is a big job. We spend about £20 million each year on road maintenance, but this only lets us repair or improve around 4% to 6% of the network. Like many councils, we have more maintenance work to do than we can afford to complete each year.
We must balance many different needs. Our roads and other highway assets are getting older, more people are using the network, and we need to keep disruption to a minimum while carrying out repairs. Climate change is also creating new challenges. Heavy rainfall and more extreme weather put extra pressure on drains that were not built to cope with today's weather conditions.
To manage these challenges, West Sussex County Council uses a risk-based approach. We use information about the condition of our roads and assets to decide where work is needed most. This helps us spend money wisely, make the network stronger, help assets last longer, and keep roads safe and reliable for residents, businesses and everyone who uses them.
A2 - Road conditions in West Sussex Highways
A2.1. A roads
| Year | % of road in red category | % of road in amber category | % of road in green category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 6% | 25% | 69% |
| 2024 | 6% | 27% | 67% |
| 2025 | 6% | 30% | 64% |
A2.2. B and C roads
| Year | % of road in red category | % of road in amber category | % of road in green category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 6% | 26% | 68% |
| 2024 | 6% | 27% | 67% |
| 2025 | 5% | 29% | 66% |
A2.3. U roads
| Year | % of road in red category |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 10% |
| 2024 | 14% |
| 2025 | 17% |
A2.4. - Additional information on carriageway condition
The number of U roads in poor condition has increased to 18.8%. This continues a rise that has happened over the last four years. Heavy rain in 2023/24 and a long period of wet weather at the start of 2026 led to more potholes, especially on U roads.
Roads are under more pressure than before. More traffic uses the network, extreme weather happens more often, and U roads receive less investment than larger roads. Other nearby councils have seen similar problems.
Many U roads, especially in rural areas, were built to a lower standard. This means they wear out more quickly and are more likely to become damaged. Long periods of hot weather have also made road surfaces break up faster. As a result, we have had to carry out more emergency repairs and maintenance. We also need to use more expensive materials that can cope better with high temperatures.
We want to improve how we collect information about the condition of U roads. West Sussex County Council is testing new computer vision technology as part of the 2026 road survey programme.
A3 - What we are doing about potholes and other road defects
A3.1. - What is a pothole?
West Sussex County Council describes a pothole as a hole or dip in the road surface where part of the road has broken away. Potholes often form when water gets into small cracks in the road. This weakens the road underneath. Cold weather and passing traffic can then make the damage worse.
Highway inspectors find potholes and other road problems during regular inspections and when issues are reported. They check each defect using the council's risk-based approach. They look at its size, where it is, the type of road, and the risk it may cause to people using the highway.
We usually repair potholes that are 40mm to 100mm deep and at least 150mm wide within 28 days. We usually repair potholes that are more than 100mm deep and at least 150mm wide within 5 working days.
We keep an eye on smaller defects that do not meet these levels. We check them during future inspections and repair them as part of planned maintenance when needed.
A3.2. - What we are doing to tackle potholes
West Sussex County Council works to keep roads safe and in good condition. We do this by repairing problems when they happen and by carrying out maintenance to stop bigger problems from developing.
During the 2025 to 2026 financial year, we repaired about 32,280 potholes across the highway network. We carried out these repairs through our regular repair service and spray injection patching programme.
When it is safe and practical to do so, we make permanent repairs using the best materials and repair methods. This helps roads last longer and reduces the need for more repairs later.
Sometimes we need to make a temporary repair to keep people safe. This can happen if a problem needs urgent attention or if traffic, weather or other issues stop us from making a permanent repair straight away. We then arrange a permanent repair as soon as we can.
Preventing damage is an important part of how we manage our roads. Each year, we plan road maintenance work, such as resurfacing and patching, before roads become badly damaged. We use information from road inspections and condition surveys to decide where work is needed most.
This approach helps roads last longer, makes the network more reliable and reduces the number of potholes. It also helps us get the best value from public money while keeping roads safe for everyone who uses them.
A3.3 - How you can report potholes and other highway defects
You can report potholes and other highway problems using our online reporting system. The system lets you mark the problem on a map and send extra information, including photos, if you have them. These reports go straight into the council's highway management system so we can assess them and take action.
You can also report problems that are an immediate danger to public safety by calling the Highways Customer Service Centre. Outside normal working hours, you can contact the out-of-hours service run by the council's highway maintenance contractor.
A3.4 - What happens after a pothole is reported
When someone reports a pothole or another road problem, our Customer Service Team first checks where it is, what the problem is and whether it needs an urgent safety response. Whenever possible, they ask a highway steward to visit the site and inspect it.
The highway steward checks the problem using the council's inspection guidelines. They decide whether the defect needs repair.
We give priority to defects that pose the greatest risk to people using the highway. We continue to monitor smaller defects that do not need action straight away during regular safety inspections.
We let customers know when we have completed the work.
A4 - What we spend to maintain the highway network and where the funding is coming from
A4.1 - Spending on highways maintenance
| Category | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 (projected) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total highways maintenance spend (GBP) | £7,404,800 | £73,939,000 | £79,195,000 |
What the money was spent on
| Category | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 (projected) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carriageways | 33,355,000 | £34,549,000 | £31,895,000 |
| Footways | £1,967,000 | £2,063,000 | £247,000 |
| Structures, for example bridges | £2,832,000 | £2,646,000 | £3,029,000 |
| Drainage | £7,508,000 | £6,958,000 | £6,860,000 |
| Street lighting | £130,510,000 | £13,679,000 | £19,327,000 |
| Other assets | £11,325,000 | £10,830,000 | £1,359,800 |
| Signals and pedestrian crossings | £4,010,000 | £3,214,000 | £2,239,000 |
A4.2 - Where our funding for highways maintenance comes from
| Funding sources for highways maintenance | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 (projected) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funding received through the Department for Transport/UK Government | £22,978,000 | £27,347,000 | £28,303,000 |
| (If applicable): Additional highways maintenance funding provided by the Council or third parties |
£51,070,000 | £46,592,000 | £50,892,000 |
| Total | £74,048,000 | £73,939,000 | £79,195,000 |
A5 - Our maintenance plans for this year
A5.1 - Our plans for highways maintenance for 2026/27
Planned highway maintenance 2026/27
Carriageway maintenance programmes for:
- resurfacing: 75 sites, 46km length
- structural patching: 30 sites, 25km length
- surface dressing: 32 sites, 63km length
- micro asphalt: 26 sites, 28km length
- retexturing: number of sites pending review of heat affected roads,
- estimated up to 71km length
Planned footway maintenance programmes for:
- reconstruction and resurfacing: 18 sites, 11.8km length
- micro asphalt: 9 sites, 19.1km length
Other asset maintenance works for:
- highway structures - Capital schemes - 16
- highway drainage - Capital schemes - 32
- street lighting - LED programme -
- signals and crossings - Capital schemes -23
A5.2 - Full list of planned carriageway and footway works
A full list of current year activity can be found on our Highways, Transport and Planning Delivery Programme.
A5.3 - How decisions are made on our maintenance plans
We decide which roads and pavements to repair by following our Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Policy and Strategy.
We use information about the condition of our roads, safety checks and risk assessments to help us make decisions. We also look at the long-term cost of repairs. This helps us repair roads and other highway assets at the right time. By fixing small problems early, we can make assets last longer and avoid more expensive repairs later.
We use reliable data to plan maintenance work on roads, pavements, bridges, drains and street lights. We focus on the areas that need the most attention and choose the right repair at the right time. This helps us make the best use of available funding, keep the highway network in good condition and provide safe and reliable journeys for everyone. It also supports local communities and the economy.
Technical annex
This additional section of the transparency report is to provide a more detailed view of our service.
Local highway maintenance transparency report, Technical annex 2025/26 (PDF, 276KB)