The Transport Committee has received the government’s response to its series of recommendations in its ‘Local roads funding and maintenance: filling the gap’ inquiry.

The recommendations feature a reference to the work being led by CIHT in our ‘Improving Local Highways’ review, which will report shortly.

These recommendations included a reference to a call for the Government to commission an independent review of local highway responsibilities.

In their response, the Department for Transport indicated that CIHT is shortly to report following an independent review in respect of local highways maintenance and that this would include an assessment of local highway responsibilities and governance.

A CIHT spokesperson said:

“CIHT welcomes the report from the Committee and the response from the Department for Transport that reflects the importance of the Local Highway network.”

“We are pleased that Government has acknowledged the benefits of reaching a longer term funding settlement and the role that collaboration and best practice should play in identifying the funding levels.”

“The scope for our Improving Local Highways review will not go into the detail around changes to the governance structure that currently exists to deliver local roads as we believe this is an area that must be led by government. The main areas of focus for this review has been how the network can deliver what local communities and the economy need.”

“The CIHT Improving Local Highways Review as referenced will shortly be published and we look forward to discussing its recommendations with the Department for Transport and those responsible for the network. “

Other responses to the recommendations in the report have related to Funding and Expenditure. Innovation, Data Collection and Use, Good Practice and collaboration in highway maintenance.

More detail on the inquiry and the associated government response is available here and information on the CIHT Improving Local Highways Review is available here