This report informs the Committee of the Annual Status Options Report for the condition of carriageways, footways and bridges and proposes changes to the Highway Gully Cleaning Regime.

The Committee received a report setting out details of a review carried out on the gully cleansing regime and seeking endorsement of the proposed changes to the Highway Gully Cleaning Regimes. The report also informed the Committee of the Annual Status Options Reports (ASOR) for the condition of the Carriageways, Footways and Bridges. The following documents were attached to the report:

Appendix 1 – Carriageways ASOR Summary 2025

Appendix 2 – Footways ASOR Summary 2025

Appendix 3 – Structures ASOR Summary 2025.

The report explained that the Council managed over 18,500 gullies on the public highway network which currently received an annual clean. The Highways & Drainage Operations Team (H&D) visited each gully with the Gully Emptying Machine and recorded the condition findings for the Highway Asset Management database. The gully cleaning records showed that over the last two years the majority of gullies within Unclassified Residential Roads had not required additional cleanses and could be cleansed less frequently without a significant increase in risk of flooding. Cleaning these gullies annually was limiting the capacity to address more urgent gullies that required more frequent cleaning. The proposal was to amend the gully cleansing frequency for the majority of the Unclassified Roads (Residential) from an annual visit to a bi-annual (every two years), cleaning regime, while acknowledging that some Unclassified Roads would still need an annual cleaning regime, as they were known to be in areas where there was high leaf fall and other known drainage issues. The report stated that it was not proposed to amend the gully cleaning regimes on the Classified (A, B & C) Roads, on the strategic routes with the highest volumes and class of traffic and presenting the highest risk, which would therefore remain the highest priority.  The capacity generated within this amended gully cleaning regime would allow those gullies that needed more regular cleaning to receive an enhanced clean, either every six or three months in some cases where there were repeated call outs due to slow running gullies or repeated blockages.

The report stated that the Council had invested £17m into improving Roads and Pavements (footways) in Reading since 2020/21 and this had brought the condition of the Classified Major Roads to a good condition. The Council was now looking to bring forward an extensive and cost-effective preservation programme in the coming years to maintain a good steady state. TheCouncil had also extensively invested in the Unclassified (Residential) road network since 2020/21 and 79% of these roads were now in a ‘Green’ or good condition.

The report also explained that the level of satisfaction with carriageways and footways, using the NHT (National Highways and Transport Network) survey, compared well to other authorities, with all indicators above national averages. The Council’s investment was bringing the condition of the public footways to a ‘steady state’, and the Council was now looking to bring forward a preservation cost effective programme in the coming years to maintain a good steady state.

The report stated that the Council managed a stock of 275 highway structures, of which 19 structures were in need of strengthening and 16 were currently rated to be in a ‘poor’ condition. The ASOR report had confirmed that the current routine, reactive and cyclical maintenance revenue budget was sufficient and that over the next five financial years approximately £1.430m per annum was to be invested in structures maintenance which would enable nine structures to be strengthened and three ‘poor’ condition structures to be refurbished. The Council would continue to seek funding from Department of Transport for addressing the Bridges backlog as and when opportunities arose. The report also noted that ‘poor’ condition structures did not mean that they were unsafe and needed to be closed as often only one element of the structure was in poor condition and just that element required strengthening or replacement, not the entire structure.

Resolved:

(1)       That the proposed changes to the Highway Gully Cleaning Regimes be endorsed;

(2)       That the Annual Status Option Reports (ASORs) for condition of the Council’s Carriageways, Footways & Bridges be noted.