Frequently Asked Questions
These frequently asked questions relate to the adopted road network maintained by Moray Council. Trunk roads, including the A96 and the A95 west of Keith, are maintained by AMEY on behalf of Transport Scotland.
For information on gritting, snow clearance and other winter service activities, please see our
Moray Council Roads Maintenance is responsible for maintaining the adopted public road network within Moray.
Private roads and private accesses may be the responsibility of other organisations or landowners.
Trunk roads, which within Moray are the A96 and the A95 west of Keith, are maintained by AMEY on behalf of Transport Scotland.
The adopted road network is subject to regular safety inspections, with frequencies ranging from monthly inspections on the highest-priority roads to annual inspections on the lowest-priority roads.
We can only repair defects that have been identified through our routine inspections or reported to us. We encourage road users to report potholes and other road defects using our online reporting portal.
Once a defect has been assessed, it is assigned a repair priority using a risk-based approach set out in our Safety Inspection Manual. This takes account of factors such as the size and nature of the defect, the type of road, traffic levels, and the risk to road users. Defects presenting the greatest risk are given the highest priority and are repaired first.
As a result, repair times can vary depending on the nature of the defect and the resources available at the time.
When a defect is identified, it may be marked to assist with inspection, measurement or future repair works. Marking a defect does not necessarily mean it requires immediate repair. Once assessed, defects are prioritised using a risk-based approach, with the highest-risk defects repaired first.
Repairs are often carried out to address the defects assessed as presenting the greatest risk to road users at the time of inspection. Other defects may continue to be monitored and repaired at a later date if their condition deteriorates.
Roads Maintenance uses a risk-based approach to gully cleaning, ensuring that resources are targeted where they are needed most. Across Moray, the service is responsible for approximately 19,300 gullies on the adopted road network.
Around 12,600 road gullies are cleaned each year, equating to approximately 66% of the gullies maintained by Roads Maintenance.
Gullies identified as requiring more frequent attention, including those in known drainage hotspot locations, smaller-capacity gullies, and those on priority rural routes, are cleaned annually.
Lower-risk rural gullies are cleaned on a two-year cycle, while lower-risk urban gullies are cleaned on a three-year cycle.
Standing water around a gully does not necessarily mean that the gully requires cleaning. A blocked gully is only one possible cause.
There can be a number of causes, including heavy rainfall exceeding the capacity of the drainage system, restrictions within connecting pipework, or high water levels within the Scottish Water sewer network.
If water drains away within a relatively short period after the rain has stopped, this is often an indication that the drainage system is operating as intended and that the issue was caused by temporary capacity constraints rather than a blocked gully.
Roadside grass cutting on the adopted road network usually begins in May and continues until September.
A one-metre-wide grass strip is cut along road verges, with wider areas cut at public road junctions to help maintain visibility for road users.
A Class roads receive two grass cuts per year. All other roads receive one grass cut per year.
For efficiency, verge cutting is undertaken as part of a planned programme rather than in response to individual requests. We are therefore unable to advise when a particular location will be cut.
Roads Maintenance undertakes a wide range of reactive and planned maintenance activities. Work programmes are regularly reviewed to account for changing priorities, emergencies, weather conditions and available resources. For this reason, it is not usually possible to provide specific dates for individual works.
Moray Council's insurers handle claims on our behalf.
Once you have completed and returned the claim forms, our Insurance team will forward them to our insurers, who will then liaise directly with you regarding the progress and outcome of your claim..