Department for Transport encourages 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 linked at the bottom to give further details around the different areas of highways works.
What we are responsible for maintaining
We are responsible for maintaining:
- carriageways: 4,092km
- footways: 3,984km
- structures: 882 number (Source: WSCC asset inventory)
- drainage gullies: 144,158 number (Source: WSCC asset inventory)
- street lighting: 69,700 number (Source: WSCC asset inventory)
- signalised crossings and pedestrian crossings: 719 number (Source: WSCC asset inventory)
We are also responsible for maintaining other assets, such as road signs and lines, highways green estate such as trees and verges and Public Rights of Way.
Managing a highway network of over 4,000km presents significant challenges. With an annual carriageway maintenance budget of around £20 million, only approximately 4% to 6% of the network can be treated each year.
As with many highway authorities, the level of maintenance needed across West Sussex exceeds the funding and delivery capacity available in any given year.
The council must balance competing priorities, including an ageing asset base, increasing demand on the network and the need to minimise disruption while delivering maintenance activities.
Climate change is adding further pressure, particularly on drainage infrastructure that was not designed to cope with the frequency and intensity of today's weather events.
In response, West Sussex County Council adopts a risk-based asset management approach, using condition data, prioritisation processes and long-term lifecycle planning to target investment where it will deliver the greatest benefit. This enables the council to maximise value for money, improve network resilience, extend asset life and maintain a safe and reliable highway network for residents, businesses and all road users, despite ongoing funding constraints.
Road conditions in West Sussex Highways
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% |
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% |
U roads
| Year | % of road in red category |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 10% |
| 2024 | 14% |
| 2025 | 17% |
Additional information on carriageway condition
The condition of West Sussex's classified road network remains broadly stable, with the proportion of A roads in poor condition holding at 6% and B and C roads improving slightly from 6% to 5% between 2023 and 2025. However, there has been a gradual shift from the green category to amber, indicating a growing maintenance requirement across the network.
The most significant challenge remains the unclassified (U) road network, where the proportion of roads in poor condition has increased from 10% in 2023 to 17% in 2025. This deterioration has been driven by prolonged periods of wet weather, increased pothole formation, extreme temperatures and growing traffic demands.
Many rural unclassified roads were constructed to lower standards and are therefore more susceptible to deterioration. To improve future condition assessments, West Sussex County Council is trialling computer vision technology as part of the 2026/27 survey programme.
What we are doing about potholes and other road defects
What is a pothole?
West Sussex County Council defines a pothole as a localised failure of the carriageway surface where material has broken away, creating a hole or depression.
A pothole usually forms when water seeps into small cracks in the surface, weakening the material beneath and then expands during freezing temperatures and/or is displaced by repeated traffic.
Highway inspectors identify potholes and other investigatory defects through routine and ad-hoc inspections. Defects are assessed using the council's risk-based approach, taking account of their dimensions, location, road hierarchy and the risk they present to all highway users.
Carriageway potholes measuring between 40mm and 100mm deep and at least 150mm in all directions, are typically repaired within 28 days. Those over 100mm deep and 150mm wide in all directions are typically repaired within 5 working days.
Defects below these investigatory levels are monitored and addressed through future inspections and/or planned maintenance where appropriate.
What we are doing to tackle potholes
West Sussex County Council is committed to maintaining a safe and resilient highway network through a balanced approach of reactive repairs and preventative maintenance.
During the 2025/26 financial year, the council repaired an estimated total of 32,280 potholes across the highway network through the reactive service and spray injection patching.
The council's preferred approach is to undertake permanent repairs at the first visit wherever it is safe and practicable to do so. Permanent repairs are completed using appropriate materials and techniques to maximise asset life, provide the most durable outcome and minimise the need for repeat visits.
Temporary repairs are used only where immediate action is required to make a defect safe, or where factors such as traffic management requirements, weather conditions or other operational constraints prevent a permanent repair from being completed at the first visit. In such circumstances, the location is programmed for permanent repair at the earliest practicable opportunity.
Preventative maintenance remains central to the council's asset management approach. Annual programmes of resurfacing, surface dressing, multiple patching solutions and other lifecycle treatments are targeted using highway condition data, inspection findings and asset management principles to preserve carriageways before significant deterioration occurs.
This proactive investment helps extend the life of the network, improves resilience and reduces the likelihood of potholes developing, delivering better long-term value while maintaining a safe highway for all users.
How members of the public can report potholes and other highway defects
Members of the public can report potholes and other highway defects through the county council's online reporting system. This enables users to pinpoint the defect location on an interactive map and submit supporting information, including photographs where available.
Report a pothole or highway defect. Reports are received directly into the council's highway asset management system (Confirm) for assessment and action. Defects presenting an immediate risk to public safety can also be reported by telephone via the Highways Customer Service Centre, as well as via the out of hours service which is managed by the council’s Core Highway Maintenance Contractor.
Report defects online.
What happens after a pothole is reported
Once a pothole/defect is reported, it is triaged by the Customer Service Teams to confirm location, type of defect and whether an immediate safety response is required. Wherever possible, the customer report is referred to a highway steward to undertake a site-based assessment.
The steward will inspect the site and apply the Highways Inspection Manual to determine whether the reported defect meets the investigatory criteria.
Defects requiring action are prioritised according to the level of risk they present, while those below the investigatory level remain subject to ongoing monitoring through routine highway safety inspections. Customers receive confirmation of completion works.
What we spend to maintain the highway network and where the funding is coming from
Spending on highways maintenance
| Category | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 (projected) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total highways maintenance spend | £74,048,000 | £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 | £2,247,000 |
| 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 | £13,051,000 | £13,679,000 | £19,327,000 |
| Other assets | £11,325,000 | £10,830,000 | £13,598,000 |
| Signals and pedestrian crossings | £4,010,000 | £3,214,000 | £2,239,000 |
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 | £29,047,000 | £33,416,000 | £34,372,000 |
| (If applicable): Additional highways maintenance funding provided by the council or third parties |
£45,001,000 | £40,523,000 | £44,823,000 |
| Total | £74,048,000 | £73,939,000 | £79,195,000 |
Department of Transport Local Authority funding allocations.
Our maintenance plans for 2026 to 2027
Our plans for highways maintenance for 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: 17,280 LED conversions
- signals and crossings - Capital schemes: 23
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.
How decisions are made on our maintenance plans
We prioritise highway maintenance using an asset management approach aligned with our Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Policy and Strategy.
Maintenance decisions are driven by asset condition data, risk assessments, safety requirements and whole-life cost considerations, ensuring interventions are delivered at the optimum time to maximise asset life and minimise future expenditure.
West Sussex County Council's strategy promotes a preventative maintenance approach, enabling defects to be addressed before significant deterioration occurs and reducing the need for more costly reactive repairs.
Our service is delivered efficiently through the use of robust asset data, risk-based prioritisation and targeted maintenance programmes across carriageways, footways, structures, drainage and street lighting assets.
By selecting the right treatment at the right time, we optimise available funding, improve network condition and maintain safe, reliable infrastructure for all users while supporting wider community and economic objectives.
Technical annex
Read the technical annex which provides a more detailed view of our service.
Local highway maintenance transparency report, Technical annex 2026/27 (PDF, 1MB)