[Limeburn Hill/Wells Road near Chew Magna, resurfaced in 2025. ]
Looks like our local authority is doing something right. A range of Bath & North East Somerset Council services have been given the thumbs up from residents as part of a national satisfaction survey.
The council achieved the highest satisfaction score out of 111 local authorities for how easy it is for people to get in touch and report a problem, and its Park & Ride service achieved the second highest score in the country, for the third year in a row.
Around 700 residents, selected randomly, took part in the National Highways and Transport Network Satisfaction Survey.
Residents’ satisfaction with highway maintenance was ranked fourth, up from eleventh last year, reflecting the council’s increasing levels of investment into maintaining its highway network.
The council is spending almost £10million in 2025/26 on its highway services, which is £760,000 more than in 2024/25 and includes the recently completed £5.1million resurfacing programme.
Councillor Lucy Hodge, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport Delivery, said: “It’s a real achievement to have some really high resident satisfaction rankings again this year. A big thank you to all the residents who took part.
“We are continuing to invest in our highways, and this survey allows us to compare our performance against more than 100 other local authorities. It’s really important to see what we’re doing well but also to look closely at where we can make improvements.”
Other results from the survey gave top ten satisfaction scores to the council for cycle parking, public rights of way, parking restrictions, communication and the speed and quality of responses from its officers.
Residents gave low satisfaction scores for traffic levels and congestion.
All of the council’s survey results can be seen on the NHT website.
NB. In my opinion, ‘maintaining its highway network’ should extend to some of the inner city roads.
The Guildhall, Indoor Market, Empire Hotel and Victoria Art Gallery sit in the middle of a traffic island and are surrounded by bad surfaces and potholes! Great Pulteney Street is also a disgrace.
As a frequent visitor to Bath (and coming in from the south) I invariably use the Odd Down Park & Ride. A truly first-class service and the top-deck ride down into Bath provides striking views of the city. But we really need something on the eastern side of Bath as well.
I totally agree with your last comment re inner city roads and their appalling condition!!!
I had a bad fall running across the road between the bike island and the old GPO two years ago.
My knees have suffered since!!!
I reported it to the council as there is a big ‘dip’ in the road surface and I had been told of other people tripping in the same place.
They eventually replied saying that the surface was not deemed poor enough to repair (assuming that the buses and taxis that frequent this section…and who no doubt largely attributed to the damage…were not affected)!!!!!!!
I also ride a bike and have to be very aware of the potholes…there’s one on the bottom of a Broad St with exposed cables that has been like that for several years!
Not good for us locals …I guess the tourists don’t complain so nothing gets done!!!!!! 😡