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Unadopted Roads

Asked by Alex MayerLabourDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 3 March 2026UIN 115907

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her Department collects on the number of unadopted roads going through the Section 38 process by local authority.

Answered by Simon Lightwood

The Department does not collect data on the number of roads that have been, or are currently being, adopted by local authorities. Decisions on whether to adopt a road rest with the relevant local authority, provided the road meets the necessary design standards for adoption. The Department is aware of a decline in the adoption of roads within new developments and is undertaking research to better understand the adoption process under the Highways Act 1980 and how it might be improved in the future. We will aim to publish the findings of the project as soon as possible this year.

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