Road maintenance and resurfacing

The London Borough of Harrow has over 457 km of roads. Our road network has a gross replacement cost of over £800 million.

It is important to manage our resources to maintain the network. We prioritise our resources through 2 main areas of work:

Report a fault

If you see a fault on a road or footpath, you can report it online:

Report a road or footpath fault

Reactive maintenance

We inspect all roads and footpaths 2 or 3 times a year. Members of the public can report faults online. If potential hazards are found, we will carry out minor works and repairs. We do this to keep people safe and to comply with national guidance.

Structural maintenance

Major work programmes are planned based on our annual condition surveys. These are done by specialised highway surveyors. They meet an agreed UK pavement management assessment system .

The surveys are reviewed in accordance with the principles of the council’s highway asset management strategy. This decides the maintenance priorities for the year.

As far as practicable the council will produce a targeted programme of works. It takes account of the:

  • condition surveys
  • traffic usage
  • reactive maintenance history
  • any other identified risks

The aim is to achieve the maximum benefit from the resources available. It seeks to maximise the highway's longevity while minimising the speed of deterioration and future maintenance costs. There are two main structural maintenance programmes. One is for road resurfacing, and the other for footways reconstruction.

Implementation of structural maintenance works

With regard to the implementation of work programmes it is important to note that:

  • Residents are notified in advance of any major works and temporary traffic management.
  • Works only relate to the part of a street where the structural defects are identified. We do not routinely carry out works on an entire street.
  • Any works identified address serious structural defects. This is to minimise future maintenance liabilities and costs. The treatments proposed will be the most cost effective solutions required. Any purely cosmetic treatments will not be taken forward.
  • Works require the occupation of road space to be agreed up to three months in advance. They are subject to set timescales and conditions regarding traffic management. So they cannot be changed at short notice.
  • Works are subject to change in the event of:
    • adverse weather conditions
    • emergencies
    • unforeseen circumstances that might cause disruption to the flow of traffic

Carriageway resurfacing work and vehicle relocation

During carriageway resurfacing work we do our best to make sure you have access to your property.

If we have to block your access we'll let you know in advance. If you normally park on the road or in front of your property, you may have to find an alternative space for a short while. This will help us to work faster, more effectively, and limit disruption.

Any cars that obstruct planned work may be relocated by a Vehicle Removal Unit. If your car has been relocated please call 020 8416 8783.