Roads: Ribble Valley

In addition to providing funding, the Department uses a range of non-financial levers to drive improvement. These include requiring local highway authorities to publish annual highway maintenance transparency reports and to demonstrate compliance with best practice in asset management, including a greater focus on preventative maintenance.

In January 2026, the Department also introduced a new traffic light rating system which assesses local highway authorities in England based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their roads, and whether they do so using best practice. Lancashire County Council received an overall amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, green for spend and amber for best practice.

These ratings will be updated annually, providing an incentive to authorities to adopt best practice, and enabling the Department to identify where to target support to ensure road condition improves nationwide. The Department is also updating the Code of Practice this year, the first update since 2017, to ensure the Code reflects the latest developments in relation to the effective management of highways maintenance works.