Richmond Council is set to significantly boost its highway maintenance efforts in the upcoming year, with plans for a substantial increase in funding for road and footway upkeep. The Transport and Air Quality Committee, meeting on Monday, February 2, 2026, was presented with proposals for the 2026/27 highway maintenance programme, which aims to address years of underinvestment and improve the condition of the borough's roads and pavements.
A key highlight of the proposed programme is a significant increase in funding for highway maintenance, representing a 159% rise compared to the previous year. This enhanced investment is intended to enable a more proactive approach to asset management, leading to improved road conditions, reduced reactive maintenance, fewer public liability claims, and greater overall safety and customer satisfaction. The Highway Maintenance Programme for 2026/27
report indicates that this planned programme elevates Richmond Council to delivering one of the largest highways maintenance programmes across all London Councils.
The committee was presented with detailed plans for road resurfacing and footway renewal schemes across all wards. These programmes are developed using a combination of condition-based surveys, engineering assessments, and community feedback to prioritise areas in greatest need of repair. The prioritization of repair areas is based on several factors, including Detailed Visual Inspection (DVI) survey conditions
ranked by structural condition index, regular safety inspections of roads and footways (with more frequent checks around sensitive locations like hospitals and schools), and engineering judgement that considers factors such as safety observations, community concerns, accelerated deterioration, and utility company activities.
The Highway Maintenance Programme for 2026/27
report states that the increased investment aims to reduce reactive maintenance works required, hence saving on the future revenue funding required
and reduce the Public Liability Claims that the Council receives for accidents and injuries on defective highways.
The current year's programme is nearing completion, and similar numbers of footways and carriageways have been added to the 2026/27 programmes. However, many of these works are not expected to commence until the summer.
Residents are encouraged to report concerns regarding poor road surfaces and damaged footways to the Council, which has a robust system for logging and resolving such enquiries. A stakeholder management plan will also be developed to ensure engagement with impacted parties and to limit the impact on the local community during essential maintenance works. Advance notification and notice boards will be used to keep the community informed, with local residents and businesses receiving letters prior to commencement on site. The report notes that any requirement to reduce traffic disruption by carrying out works overnight or during off-peak hours would further increase costs.
More information on the highway maintenance programme can be found in the Highway Maintenance Programme for 2026/27. Further details on the Transport and Air Quality Committee meeting can be accessed in the Public reports pack Monday 02-Feb-2026 19.00 Transport and Air Quality Committee.
