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Local Highways Network Needs Urgent Action on Funding and Governance

9th Oct 2018

CIHT (in collaboration with the Institute of Highways Engineers, the Highways Term Maintenance Association, the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport and the Civil Engineering Contractors Association) has written to Lillian Greenwood MP, chair of the Transport Select Committee, to highlight the need for urgent answers relating to funding and governance, requesting that bold action be taken to ensure the sustainability of the UK's local road network.

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The letter highlights a number of key issues regarding the state of the UK's local highways that need to be addressed;

That local authorities should not be forced into a trade-off between funding local roads and other vital services such as adult social care or children’s services. The removal of 'ringfenced funding' allowed new opportunities for local authorities to choose how they spend their money, and to prioritise the issues of local residents. However, protecting spending in some areas means that other budgets will inevitably be squeezed, leading to a lower quality of service.
The scale of the problem is not fully understood, nor the full benefits that the local highway network brings, as there are no overall comprehensive data sets for local roads, which are managed by 152 different local authorities. There is a range of useful surveys by bodies such as the AIA, RAC, NHT, LGA and UKRLG but none are sufficient to provide the detail needed to develop a structured approach to addressing the issues.
There needs to be a proper consideration of how we fund our local highway network for long term sustainability. Currently there is no relationship between using local highways and paying for them, despite some users such as utilities and freight companies having a disproportionate impact. The creation of a roads funds for the SRN is welcome but given virtually all journeys on the strategic network begin and end on the local network it seems perverse not to extend the principle to the local roads network.
That our roads are there to deliver for all users, not just motorists, so the future of local roads governance and funding must address the needs of walkers, cyclists and all users.

This letter is part of an ongoing conversation on the condition and structure of our local roads, and CIHT intends to publish a major report led by CIHT's President Matthew Lugg OBE in 2019.

To find out more please contact e: communications@ciht.org.uk

A full copy of the letter is available below

CIHT Letter to Transport Select Committee on Local roads Funding and Governance