The new rules councils must follow when proving how well they are maintaining local roads marks a significant step forward โ and one the Road Emulsion Association strongly welcomes.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has published updated guidance for councils when completing their annual transparency report, first introduced last year. This year’s requirements have been substantially enhanced, and failure to publish a report will see councils have nearly a third of this year’s highways maintenance funding withheld.
The changes include:
- A more formal evidence framework. DfT will sample check evidence and if insufficient this will affect red/amber/green ratings.
- Spending data must now be explained more thoroughly, including a detailed breakdown by treatment type.
- The 2026/27 report must be signed off by both the head of service and the section 151 officer.
- Preventative maintenance treatments, including surface dressing, micro surfacing, and thin surfacing, are now formally defined in guidance for the first time, giving emulsion-based treatments their rightful place in the reporting framework.
- More granular detail will be required for pothole reporting, distinguishing between temporary and permanent repairs.
Kevin Maw, REA secretary said:
We support the improved reporting template, which will enable more thorough and consistent reporting. For REA members, the explicit recognition of surface treatments as the leading form of preventative maintenance is a significant acknowledgement of the value these techniques deliver. Councils will now need to report on them clearly and consistently, which can only strengthen the case for investing in them.
Read the DfT press release and new guidance here: