Seven major council highways maintenance contracts across England will reach an end or extension decision by October 2028. These include deals in Kent, Essex, Medway, Birmingham and Gloucestershire.
Who maintains council roads?
Local highway authorities decide who carries out routine works like pothole repairs, gully clearing, winter gritting and resurfacing. Most areas outsource this under multi-year term maintenance contracts, appointing a single contractor to deliver scheduled and responsive services.
This analysis covers 40 of the 120 English councils outside London, based on council reports, procurement notices and contractor announcements. Contract values, durations and extensions vary widely.
How these contracts work
Term maintenance contracts, sometimes called term service contracts, usually span several years. They cover reactive maintenance, drainage, winter service and capital works. Some councils run separate contracts for surfacing, street lighting or drainage.
Initial terms tend to be relatively short, with options to extend based on contractor performance and funding. Kent’s latest contract spans 14 years with a potential seven-year extension. Cheshire East chose to forgo a break clause, extending its contract to 2033.
Current contract holders and values
M Group (including its Milestone Infrastructure brand) leads with seven contracts, including Cambridgeshire, Devon and Suffolk. Ringway holds six, plus two more through its Ringway Jacobs joint venture. Balfour Beatty, mainly via Balfour Beatty Living Places, has four. VolkerHighways also holds four contracts, while Kier holds three.
Kent County Council’s contract with Ringway Infrastructure Services, starting 1 May 2026, is the largest in value. It runs for 14 years with a £2 billion maximum value excluding VAT. Hertfordshire’s Ringway contract, starting 1 October 2025, is £1.95 billion over up to 21 years. Suffolk’s Milestone Infrastructure deal is worth £1.6 billion over a possible 20 years.
Contracts due to end soon
Several contracts end within the next two years:
- Essex has a Ringway Jacobs contract running to 31 March 2027. Its replacement procurement is delayed to reflect local government reorganisation and is planned to start 1 April 2028.
- Medway has a Volker Highways contract ending 31 July 2027. A successor tender was published on 1 October 2026.
- Birmingham uses Kier as interim provider under a highways PFI. The contract may extend to 31 July 2028 while the council procures a long-term solution.
- Gloucestershire extended its Ringway contract to 2028, with an option to 2030.
- Peterborough has a contract with M Group running to September 2028.
- Worcestershire has a Ringway contract running to 2026 but no confirmed successor yet.
- Telford and Wrekin works mainly with Balfour Beatty Living Places under a contract due to expire in March 2026, with possible extension to 2032 but no decision published.
Where councils keep maintenance in-house
Out of these 40 authorities, 33 appoint external contractors. Four councils do much of their maintenance with in-house teams, supplemented sometimes by external labour. Three councils use companies they own to deliver services.
Council-owned companies include Cormac (Cornwall), NY Highways Ltd (North Yorkshire) and Via East Midlands Ltd (Nottinghamshire). In-house approaches vary from handling reactive repairs and winter service to full delivery.
Why this matters
These contracts determine who controls key maintenance functions across England’s highways network. The length and value of contracts shape investment decisions and the contractor landscape.
Local government reorganisation has influenced contract timings, particularly in counties like Essex and Devon. High-value, long-term contracts provide stability but require careful management to ensure road quality and safety.
Keeping the picture up to date
This guide is based on publicly available council documents, procurement records and contractor statements as of 16 October 2026. Contract details change frequently. Readers with updates can contact marc@highwaysindustry.com with source links.
