CHESHIRE East Council’s highways service has become a UK exemplar for the way in which the borough’s highways maintenance programme is managed, meaning the authority is in line for a grant ‘bonus’ from the government.

ISO 55001 gives the authority’s highways service international recognition for its high standard of asset management. The borough’s £5 billion’s worth of roads, bridges, lighting, footways and traffic signs are the council’s biggest material asset.

The British Standards ISO award recognises the proactive management of highways maintenance and the way in which repairs and improvements are prioritised in order to make the most cost-effective use of the £9m highways maintenance grant.

Reports of road defects to the council reduced from 17,000 in 2012/13 to 4,000 in 2015/16. The award could mean the council will qualify for further incentive funding to the tune of £870,000 with the potential for a further increase in funding in 2018-19.

Councillor David Brown said: “We believe we may be only the second authority in the country to receive this award, which is great news for our service.”