Seven-year deal agreed for new roads maintenance contractor in Warwickshire

Warwickshire County Council has awarded its highways maintenance contract, which will run from May 2026 to May 2033, to Balfour Beatty Living Places.

There will also be an option to extend the contract by a further six years.

It is part of a joint contract with Coventry City and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Councils to “drive better value for money”.

The council said a hub will be created to “give real time information, analysing data and helping to prioritise work, for example, where potholes and road defects need immediate treatment”.

Cllr Jennifer Warren, Warwickshire's portfolio holder for transport and planning, said: “This contract has been awarded following rigorous scrutiny of the bids received and Balfour Beatty have demonstrated that they offer a high quality service offering the very best value for money.

“The new contract will see changes to our existing arrangements, based on feedback that we have received from the public, and we have also managed to keep the overall cost of the contract highly competitive.

"In fact, this increased value for money means that the same amount of work that we carried out last year could be delivered for £1m less in the new contract, unlocking the potential to increase the amount we do for the same spend.”

“The contract also brings innovations such as an improved control hub for better co-ordination and performance management of the work we do, the flexibility to explore new ideas and an expectation of continuous improvement.

Cllr Warren added: “Key to the contract will be continuing the service during freezing winter weather when nearly half of the road network is treated, sometimes multiple times per night. Building on that, we'll be providing innovations like grit bin sensors to ensure that we always have the supplies that we need.

“We’re also set up perfectly to focus on prevention rather than cure. For example, getting exceptional value for works that stop potholes forming in the first place rather than chasing them once it’s too late.”

“Building on the partnership with colleagues in other local authorities and sharing the contract with them, we are confident that it represents the very best value we can get from our investment, one that will bring the best maintenance of our roads for years to come.”