The Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) would like to remind our council members that the date to submit completed Network North Highway Maintenance reporting requirements is tomorrow (Friday 15 March 2024).
The Department for Transport (DfT) have sent a commission on the Initial Plans for additional road resurfacing and highway maintenance activity through the Network North plan on 4 October and Budget 2023.
For Mayoral Combined Authorities, this information should be published at a Combined Authority level, with the plan also made available on websites.
The plan should include summaries of:
• The additional resurfacing and other work either completed in 2023/24 or scheduled in 2024/25 using the additional funding in Budget 2023 and the further funding confirmed in this letter. This should set out:
• The total volumes of additional work already completed and due to be completed by March 2025;
• Particular roads, communities, or locations that have already benefited from it, or that are due to benefit from it;
• The further additional work that will be completed during 2024/25 – again setting out both expected total volumes of additional work (eg miles of road resurfaced) and where it is planned;
• How your authority is introducing innovation in the delivery of highways maintenance (e.g. the use of new equipment or software) and where it plans to go further;
• How your authority is using its streetworks and other powers to ensure that resurfacing works are not undermined by repeated digging up of the same road by utility companies; and
• The total amount of investment in the maintenance of local highway networks for the most recent 5 years (ie for the years 2019/20; 2020/21; 2021/22; 2022/23; and 2023/24) and planned investment for 24/25. Authorities should summarise both total expenditure and total DfT grant funding.
If highway teams have not seen a commission regarding Network North Funding requirements, they are asked to please liaise with their Chief Executive.
Guidance for Local Authorities can be viewed here.
Submissions are to be returned via SmartSurvey here.