£11m highways improvement programme set out by St Helens Borough Council
St Helens Borough Council has submitted its Highways Maintenance Transparency Report to the Department for Transport (DfT), highlighting significant investment in local roads, increased preventative maintenance and more than £11 million of planned highway improvements across the borough.
Article date: 11 September 2026
The report forms part of the Government's highways maintenance funding framework, which links funding to transparency, performance and best practice in highway maintenance and asset management.
It sets out how the council is maintaining and improving local roads, footways, bridges, drainage systems, traffic signals and street lighting, while adopting new technologies and approaches designed to deliver better long-term outcomes for residents and road users.
Earlier this year, St Helens achieved an overall Amber rating under the Department for Transport's national highways assessment framework, alongside a Green rating for capital investment, reflecting the council's commitment to sustained investment and preventative maintenance. The council also met all funding requirements and secured its full incentive funding allocation.
The latest report demonstrates the progress made over the past year and the further improvements planned for 2026/27 as the council continues its ambition of progressing towards a top-performing Green rating. A new rating will be awarded by DfT by January 2027.
During 2025/26, the council repaired more than 4,400 potholes and carriageway defects and continued to expand its preventative maintenance programme, helping to address issues before more costly and disruptive repairs become necessary.
St Helens continues to invest significantly in its highway network, with more than £11 million planned for maintenance and improvement works during 2026/27. This includes carriageway resurfacing, footway improvements, bridge maintenance, drainage upgrades, traffic signal improvements and street lighting renewal, alongside programmes designed to extend the life of existing assets and reduce future maintenance costs.
The report also highlights a range of improvements introduced during the year, including the implementation of a new web-based highway asset management system, the use of AI-assisted road condition monitoring technology and continued investment in innovative low-carbon maintenance techniques.
Councillor Gary Edgerton, Cabinet Member for Business, Highways and Transport, said:
"Residents rightly expect safe and reliable roads, and this report demonstrates the scale of work taking place across the borough to deliver that. From repairing thousands of potholes to increasing preventative maintenance and investing in new technology, we are continuing to improve how we manage and maintain our highway network."
"The Green rating for investment and the securing of our full funding allocation show we are moving in the right direction. Our focus now is on building on that progress and continuing to deliver improvements for residents, businesses and communities across St Helens."