You can watch it live at this link on the parliament website.

CIHT were selected to attend the committee on the base of our written evidence which was produced from contributions by some of our 14,000 members. There are numerous issues with the ways in which local roads are currently managed and funded but most frequently mentioned were; the need for long term asset management, the need to improve our understanding of the network and the need to understand the many roles that local highways play.

As part of our charitable role we have long attempted to increase attention on our local roads which are often the neglected part of our transport system and recently wrote a public letter to the chair of the transport committee asking for action to be taken. At the committee meeting we will attempt to demonstrate what the current conditions of the local road network are, explain what a 'best in class' situation would look like and discuss what needs to be done to get there.

Matthew Lugg will be joined by Darren Shirley, Chief Executive at CBT, Roger Geffen, Policy Director at Cycling UK, Rick Green, Chair at AIA and Mark Stevens, Chair of the Engineering Board at ADEPT.

This is the first of four evidence sessions and here they will be looking for a high-level overview of local roads governance and funding, to understand current practices, and to understand what it should look like. The following sessions are planned to be on the detail of maintenance inspections (with industry), the local authority perspective (with local authorities) and the national perspective (with the minister and DfT officials).

Key Stats:

• LHA’s have seen an estimated 37% real-terms reduction in Government funding from 2010-11 to 2015-16.
  
  
• The LHN accounts for 98% of England’s total road length, carries around two-thirds of all traffic and is estimated to be worth around £400bn – the largest of any local authority asset
  
  
• Core Highways Maintenance Funding allocations have declined from £901m in 2015/16 to £725m although some of this may have been made up by alternate funds.