Highways policy and guidance documents

This plan describes Gloucestershire County Council’s arrangements for dealing with adverse weather on the highway, from heat, flooding and high winds, to cold temperatures, ice and snow. Read about our decision-making processes, salt storage capacity, the timing of road treatments, cycleway treatments, gritting routes, and more.

The document also includes guidance for clearing snow and ice from pavements yourself, plus information about our Parish Snow Wardens and Snow Plough Operators:

Adverse Weather Plan 2025-2026 (PDF , 1.34MB) (Length: 43 pages)

Summary of winter gritting operations 2024-25 for councillors and volunteers (Length: 8 pages)

This plan describes Gloucestershire County Council’s arrangements for dealing with adverse weather on the highway, from heat, flooding and high winds, to cold temperatures, ice and snow. Read about our decision-making processes, salt storage capacity, the timing of road treatments, cycleway treatments, gritting routes, and more.

The document also includes guidance for clearing snow and ice from pavements yourself, plus information about our Parish Snow Wardens and Snow Plough Operators:

Adverse Weather Plan 2025-2026 (PDF , 1.34MB) (Length: 43 pages)

Summary of winter gritting operations 2024-25 for councillors and volunteers (Length: 8 pages)

This guidance sets out the County Council’s process to be followed by Parish and Town Councils or other local communities, who wish to purchase and erect Community Speedwatch cameras on or next to the Highway in Gloucestershire:

Community Speedwatch Camera Guidance (Length: 18 pages)

This guidance sets out the County Council’s process to be followed by Parish and Town Councils or other local communities, who wish to purchase and erect Community Speedwatch cameras on or next to the Highway in Gloucestershire:

Community Speedwatch Camera Guidance (Length: 18 pages)

This document provides an overview of Highways team objectives, service drivers, budgets, key contracts, projects and more. It shows the performance indicators we use to measure success and includes a summary of the risks and opportunities for the service:

Highways and Infrastructure Service Plan 2025/26 (PDF 444KB) (Length: 12 pages)

This document provides an overview of Highways team objectives, service drivers, budgets, key contracts, projects and more. It shows the performance indicators we use to measure success and includes a summary of the risks and opportunities for the service:

Highways and Infrastructure Service Plan 2025/26 (PDF 444KB) (Length: 12 pages)

Highways Asset Management Policy

This policy lays out the principles with which we manage the local road network. It shows how effective asset management will help achieve the council’s Local Transport Plan objectives and support the delivery of the County’s strategic priorities, such as tackling climate change, sustainable growth and improving our roads:

Highways Asset Management Policy 2024 (Length: 1 page)

Highways Asset Management Strategy

The strategy expands on the principles of the Highways Asset Management Policy (above). It sets out how we use ‘asset management’ to meet our long-term corporate objectives, including statutory obligations, stakeholder needs and the overall performance of our assets. It also provides a look forward to how we will grow and mature our capacity and capability further to achieve greater efficiency and value for money:

Highways Asset Management Strategy 2024 (Length: 22 pages)

Highways Asset Management Policy

This policy lays out the principles with which we manage the local road network. It shows how effective asset management will help achieve the council’s Local Transport Plan objectives and support the delivery of the County’s strategic priorities, such as tackling climate change, sustainable growth and improving our roads:

Highways Asset Management Policy 2024 (Length: 1 page)

Highways Asset Management Strategy

The strategy expands on the principles of the Highways Asset Management Policy (above). It sets out how we use ‘asset management’ to meet our long-term corporate objectives, including statutory obligations, stakeholder needs and the overall performance of our assets. It also provides a look forward to how we will grow and mature our capacity and capability further to achieve greater efficiency and value for money:

Highways Asset Management Strategy 2024 (Length: 22 pages)

This plan provides the operational detail which supports the Asset Management Policy and Strategy (above). For ease of reference, and updating, it is available here in chapter form:

Transport Asset Management Plan (Length: 10 chapters and 4 appendices)

We inspect all our roads on a regular basis in line with National Guidance and this document details our Safety Inspection regime. It also provides the risk matrix we use for prioritising repairs such as potholes, or cracks and gaps in a road or pavement. Other issues referred to in the manual include: traffic signs and bollards, overgrown vegetation, graffiti, damage to street furniture, gullies, drains or grips, fences, barriers, street lighting and road markings.

Highway Safety Inspection Manual - issued August 2023 (Length: 42 pages)

Previous versions:

Highway Safety Inspection Manual (August 2009 - July 2023)

During the COVID19 pandemic we also published a Temporary Highway Safety Inspection Policy March - June 2020.

We inspect all our roads on a regular basis in line with National Guidance and this document details our Safety Inspection regime. It also provides the risk matrix we use for prioritising repairs such as potholes, or cracks and gaps in a road or pavement. Other issues referred to in the manual include: traffic signs and bollards, overgrown vegetation, graffiti, damage to street furniture, gullies, drains or grips, fences, barriers, street lighting and road markings.

Highway Safety Inspection Manual - issued August 2023 (Length: 42 pages)

Previous versions:

Highway Safety Inspection Manual (August 2009 - July 2023)

During the COVID19 pandemic we also published a Temporary Highway Safety Inspection Policy March - June 2020.

Manual for Gloucestershire Streets (MfGS) provides guidance to developers, their consultants and design engineers, Local Planning Authorities, Parish and Town Councils, and the public on how new development within Gloucestershire can contribute towards the provision of a safe and sustainable transport network within the County.

Manual for Gloucestershire Streets (Length: 63-page manual plus associated documents, appendices, technical specifications and reports).

Manual for Gloucestershire Streets (MfGS) provides guidance to developers, their consultants and design engineers, Local Planning Authorities, Parish and Town Councils, and the public on how new development within Gloucestershire can contribute towards the provision of a safe and sustainable transport network within the County.

Manual for Gloucestershire Streets (Length: 63-page manual plus associated documents, appendices, technical specifications and reports).

School safety zones were first developed to provide a safe highway environment for children entering and leaving school. This document is intended to provide officers and designers with guidance on delivering appropriate measures following a request for a School Safety Zone (SSZ):

School Safety Zone Guidance (Length: 16 pages)

School safety zones were first developed to provide a safe highway environment for children entering and leaving school. This document is intended to provide officers and designers with guidance on delivering appropriate measures following a request for a School Safety Zone (SSZ):

School Safety Zone Guidance (Length: 16 pages)

‘Skid resistance’ is a measurement of road surface friction. The design and maintenance of adequate levels of skidding resistance is an important aspect of asset management and contributes significantly to the safe usage of the network. This policy identifies practices and procedures associated with skid resistance:

Skid Resistance Policy - Nov 2011 (Length: 17 pages)

‘Skid resistance’ is a measurement of road surface friction. The design and maintenance of adequate levels of skidding resistance is an important aspect of asset management and contributes significantly to the safe usage of the network. This policy identifies practices and procedures associated with skid resistance:

Skid Resistance Policy - Nov 2011 (Length: 17 pages)

Trees in Gloucestershire are an important conservation and amenity resource and should be preserved, but at times they can present risks to highway users and adjoining property. This document seeks to find a balance between managing the risks associated with highway trees, where the County Council has responsibility, and preserving natural resources.

You can read about how we manage and assess the risks associated with trees, how often we carry out inspections, and more:

Highway Tree Inspection and Routine Maintenance Policy (Length: 10 pages)

Trees in Gloucestershire are an important conservation and amenity resource and should be preserved, but at times they can present risks to highway users and adjoining property. This document seeks to find a balance between managing the risks associated with highway trees, where the County Council has responsibility, and preserving natural resources.

You can read about how we manage and assess the risks associated with trees, how often we carry out inspections, and more:

Highway Tree Inspection and Routine Maintenance Policy (Length: 10 pages)

Vehicle Activated Signs have been developed to address the problem of inappropriate speeds in locations where conventional signing and/or enforcement has not been effective. This document provides guidance for the prioritisation, implementation and maintenance of all types of Vehicle Activated Signs:

Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) Guidance (Length: 17 pages)

Vehicle Activated Signs have been developed to address the problem of inappropriate speeds in locations where conventional signing and/or enforcement has not been effective. This document provides guidance for the prioritisation, implementation and maintenance of all types of Vehicle Activated Signs:

Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) Guidance (Length: 17 pages)