Local highway maintenance transparency report 2026

What we're responsible for

We are the local highway authority for the borough. We are responsible for maintaining:

• 1,097 kilometres of roads

• 1,430 kilometres of footways

• 282 bridges and highway structures

• 33,407 street lights

• 2,124 illuminated traffic signs

• 1,176 illuminated bollards

These assets are inspected, maintained and renewed to help keep the highway network safe and accessible.

Road conditions in Barnsley

We regularly assess the condition of roads across the borough. Roads are categorised as:

• Green - good condition and no further work currently required

• Amber - may require maintenance in the future

• Red - poor condition and should be considered for maintenance

We use a combination of surveys, inspections and condition data to understand the condition of the network and help prioritise investment.

A roads

The condition of Barnsley's A roads has continued to improve. In 2025, 87.6% of A roads were assessed as being in good condition, compared with 81.9% in 2023. Only 1.6% were categorised as requiring maintenance.

B and C roads

The condition of B and C roads has also improved over recent years. In 2025, 76% were classified as being in good condition, compared with 68% in 2023. The proportion requiring maintenance has reduced from 5% to 4%.

Local roads

Unclassified roads make up most of Barnsley's road network. Around 26% of these roads were assessed as requiring maintenance in 2025. We use regular inspections and condition surveys to help target investment where it is most needed.

Tackling potholes and road defects

Potholes form when water enters cracks in the road surface and weakens the layers beneath. Over time, vehicle traffic and changing weather conditions cause the surface to break apart.

Rather than treating every defect in the same way, we use a risk-based approach. Roads are inspected regularly and reports from residents are assessed by trained highway inspectors. Defects are then prioritised according to the risk they present to road users.

Safety-critical defects are repaired as a priority, while other issues may be monitored or addressed through planned maintenance programmes. We also invest in resurfacing, drainage improvements and preventative maintenance to help reduce the number of potholes forming in the future.

What we're doing

To identify and repair defects across the network, we use a combination of:

• Highway inspections

• Technical condition surveys

• Risk-based prioritisation

• Public reporting

• Planned maintenance programmes

During 2025/26, we repaired 25,486 potholes across the borough. Alongside these repairs, we also carried out resurfacing and preventative maintenance works to improve road condition and help prevent future deterioration.

Reporting a pothole

Residents can report potholes and other highway defects online. Reports are inspected and assessed against our intervention criteria before being prioritised for repair.

How we fund highway maintenance

Highway maintenance is funded through a combination of government funding and council investment.

In 2026/27, Barnsley Council expects to invest approximately £13.4 million in maintaining roads, footways, drainage systems, structures and street lighting across the borough.

This includes funding for:

• road maintenance and resurfacing

• footway improvements

• bridge and structure maintenance

• drainage improvements

• street lighting

• other highway assets

Of this funding, around £5.9 million comes from government highway maintenance funding, with the remainder funded through council investment and other sources.