22 June 2023
Your request
I am getting in contact asking information regarding their road maintenance policies such as:
1) Has the council moved to a risk based approach when it comes to fixing potholes? If so, when did this happen? Ideally, month/year but if not possible just year?
2) What is your safety inspection regime in terms of checking roads?
3) How do you classify road defects? Do you have a guide for this?
4) Do you have any guidance on when a repair needs to be made? ie) how big does a defect need to get?
5) What is your intervention/investigatory criteria specifically for potholes? Has this changed? Could you provide me with the previous criteria, if so?
Our response
- Our Highways inspection and maintenance regime aligns with the recommendations of Well Managed Highways Infrastructure: A Code of Practice (UKLRG) and with the requirements and statutory obligations listed in the Highways Act 1980. During a cyclic inspection, for any highway defect (including potholes) which meets certain physical intervention levels, a repair works order will be raised. Our current approach has been in place at LB Lambeth since 2011 and was incorporated into our Highways Asset Management Strategy in 2021.
- Carriageway inspections are undertaken on a one monthly basis for strategic routes, and main and secondary distributor roads; six monthly for link roads; and annually for local access roads.
Footway inspections are undertaken on a one monthly basis for ‘prestige’ and primary walking routes; six monthly for secondary walkway routes and link road footways; and annually for local access footways.
Cycleway inspections are undertaken at the same frequency as for the corresponding carriageway where the cycleway forms part of the carriageway; six monthly for segregated cycleways and annually for cycle trails.
Ad hoc inspections of carriageways, footways and cycleways may also carried out in relation to specific customer or member enquiries.
3. When a repair works order is raised, the corresponding defect is recorded in our works asset management system as one of the following categories.
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ATM |
AIDS TO MOVEMENT |
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BOL |
NON-ILLUMINATED BOLLARD REPAIRS |
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CPZE |
SIGNS LINES EMERGENCY CALL OUT |
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CPZP |
PARKING SERVICES MAINTENANCE |
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EME |
EMERGENCY CALL OUT |
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EMER |
EMERGENCY CALL OUT |
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EMOH |
EMERGENCY CALL OUT (OUT OF HOURS) |
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GCM |
GULLY CLEANING MAINTENANCE |
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PGR |
PEDESTRIAN GUARD RAIL |
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POT |
POTHOLE |
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SGE |
SIGN ERECTION |
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SGN |
NON ILLUMINATED TYPE |
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SGR |
SIGN REPAIR |
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SMC |
STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE CARRIAGEWAY |
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SMF |
STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE FOOTWAY |
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SMFT |
STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE F/WAY TREE |
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SNP |
STREET NAME PLATES |
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SNPM |
STREET NAME PLATE MAINTENANCE |
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WINT |
WINTER MAINTENANCE |
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XOVM |
CROSSOVER MAINTENANCE |
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XOVN |
CROSSOVER MAINTENANCE (NEW) |
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XWL |
WHITE LINE |
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4. Yes, we have written guidance on defect interventional levels for carriageways and footways for reactive maintenance in our Highways Asset Management documentation.
5. For carriageway defects, including potholes, intervention levels are as detailed in the table below. This has not changed for some time.