Agenda item

Report of the Corporate Director of Environment and Resident Experience. To be presented by the Cabinet Member for Resident Services and Tackling Inequality

The Cabinet Member for Resident Services and Tackling Inequality introduced the report.

It was explained that highways played a pivotal role in daily life and that Haringey was one of London’s best-connected boroughs, with a local highway network that was well used. It was additionally stressed that Haringey would be the host of the Borough of Culture and UEFA European Football Championships in 2027 and 2028, and that there was a particular focus on allocating capital funding for carriageway and footway maintenance in the initial three years of the delivery plan to ensure safe access to all relevant venues.

It was explained that there would also be a focus across service areas to ensure alignment with other funded work streams contributing to the overall fabric of the public realm, and that external funding was sought wherever possible to supplement the Council’s own funding.

The Council had adopted highway asset management policies and practices that ensured the greatest benefit for the whole community. It was noted that longer-term planning could now take place, ensuring the best use of resources, including alignment with other improvements to the public realm, planned utility works where opportunities arose, and, in addition, the phased introduction of new innovative treatments as they emerged.

It was explained that the proposal set out the first 5-year Delivery Plan, comprising some £35.775m investment to improve Haringey’s highway infrastructure. This included over £2m towards essential repairs to three highways bridge structures—namely Ferry Lane, Wareham Road and Cornwall Road—to be delivered in year one, and £4.925m of street lighting improvements to be delivered over the 5-year period. Should any additional funding have been allocated to the Council, where possible, these funds were to be considered first to reduce the Council’s borrowing.

It was explained that engagement with residents, businesses, and other interested parties continued to take place during the development of major highway schemes, thereby allowing contributions to design solutions where applicable.

In response to comments and questions from Cllr Hakata and Cllr Connor, the following information was shared:

• Officers noted that the Council was in discussions with Transport for London regarding a local Lane Rental Scheme and had mapped out potential roads which this could be applied to.
  
  
• Officers explained that the Council would be able to comply with the Department for Transport’s requirement to submit a local highway’s maintenance transparency report, additionally noting that not much officer time would need to be spent compiling this as the information was already held by officers. The limited amount of time needed would be an excellent return on investment in securing the 25% incentive fund component of the overall £571k Government allocation.
  
  
• The Cabinet Member explained that £35 million was allocated to highway assets in 2025/26. It was additionally noted that, over the previous five years, £60 million had been spent, which additionally included S106, CIL, and other external funding.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1. Approved the Highways and Street Lighting 5-Year Investment Plans in Appendices 1 and 2 of the report.
   
   
2. Delegated decisions relating to the development of detailed improvement/maintenance programmes to the Head of Highways and Parking, within the parameters set out in the Highways Asset Management and Streetlighting Strategies, and Delivery Plan, subject to Key Decisions being taken to Cabinet.
   
   
3. Authorised the Head of Highways and Parking to:

a.    Carry out any required consultation in the delivery of the 5-year plan in accordance with Appendix 3; and, having had due regard to all consultation responses submitted as part of the statutory consultation process, and having considered whether the Council should have caused a public inquiry to be held,

b.    Having had due regard to all consultation responses submitted as part of the statutory consultation process, and having considered whether the Council should have caused a public inquiry to be held, make any necessary traffic management orders to give effect to the schemes in each year, subject to key decisions being taken by Cabinet.

Reasons for Decision

Local highway authorities were expected to adopt asset management principles of ‘predict and prevent’, and planned works were an essential element to ensure the safety and resilience of the highway network. Any alternative to sustained levels of capital funding would have gone against prevention and proper asset management and the principles set out in Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice, which all local highway authorities were expected to follow.

This report set out a 5-year delivery plan for highways and street lighting maintenance and improvements. As set out in the Highways Asset Management Strategy adopted in March 2024, developing a prioritised longer-term programme of works gave greater transparency of funding levels and the work to be delivered. For residents and businesses, this allowed a greater understanding of priorities and the volume of work that could be delivered. For contractors delivering the works, there was greater certainty of future work, allowing them to better resource and deliver work efficiently.

A longer-term view of highway asset investment also allowed the Council to focus on delivering a forward-looking strategy, ensuring the most benefit was derived from the overall funding available.

Alternative Options Considered

The Highways and Street Lighting Investment Plans reported to Cabinet had historically been restricted to the forthcoming year’s programme of works. This annual cycle of programming and approvals at times impeded opportunities for efficiencies and flexibilities that could be achieved through longer-term planning.

The stability in the level of investment agreed through the MTFS, underpinned by the recently adopted asset management strategies covering highway assets and street lighting, enabled a wider strategic planning horizon that yielded a range of forward-planning benefits. The benefits included alignment of this rolling programme of investment with other public realm improvements, planned utility works where those opportunities arose, and, in addition, the phased introduction of new innovative treatments as they emerged. The delivery plan set out expected outcomes to support the delivery of the Highways Asset Management and Street Lighting Strategies.