Questions from County Councillors

Noted · Received for information; no decision followed.

On electric vehicle charging points, the Lead Member for Transport and Environment said procurement has been completed, a preferred chargepoint operator has been identified, and work on the final contract wording is under way before signing. p2

On the new Exceat bridge, the response said the contractor Jackson Civil Engineering does not anticipate road closures in 2026, that closures to build the approach roads are expected in late summer 2027, and that a signed diversion route along the A27 is planned. p7p8

On road repairs, the Lead Member said Hastings will not be excluded from investment funded through the 2026/27 highways maintenance allocation, which includes £5.57m of incentive funding on top of £15.43m baseline funding. p42

The Council also reported that since 2016/17 it has recorded 929 personal injury claims relating to alleged footway, kerb and tree-root defects, of which around 18% resulted in settlement, with total settlement payments of approximately £1.5 million. p50

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• p21) Question from Councillor Field to the Lead Member for Transport and Environment. What progress has been made with signing a contract for Electric Vehicle Charging Points? Response by the Lead Member for Transport and Environment We are in the final stages of appointing a chargepoint operator. Procurement has been completed and a preferred operator has been identified. We are now working with the preferred operator to agree the final contract wording before signing. Once the contract is signed, we expect to announce the delivery plan, including the proposed programme and timescales for installation. This will also confirm the scope of the project, including the types of charging infrastructure to be delivered and the locations proposed for delivery.
• p74) Question from Councillor Lambert to the Lead Member for Transport and Environment. Construction work on Exceat bridge is due to begin shortly. Construction on the bridge will involve road closures for 19 days. In addition, we are now told that there will be further closures to enable the contractors to move in heavy plant. This is causing residents considerable concern. I am further concerned about the impact on emergency and bus services. I understand that the heavy plant will have to have a Police escort and that no dates have yet been confirmed although it is likely to be this year. Road closure will mean diverting traffic and inevitably drivers with local knowledge will drive through Alfriston which is already subject to traffic congestion. Diversion onto the A27 will also impact on this already busy road. What measures have been put in place for these road closures? What consultation has taken place with emergency service partners and what provisions are being made for emergency service access? What mitigation measure have been taken both to plan for the road closures and to re-assure the public about the impact on, for example, to travel to hospital appointments, both routine and emergency? Response by the Lead Member for Transport and Environment Thank you Councillor Lambert for your question. I am aware that the prospect of road closures during the construction of the new Exceat bridge is a matter of concern for local residents and businesses. The Council has appointed Jackson Civil Engineering to construct the new, two-lane, bridge alongside and to the north of the existing bridge. Jackson are still finalising their construction programme, and whilst it will be necessary for there to be road closures, they have stated these will not be until the late summer of 2027 to facilitate the construction of the approach roads to tie into the new bridge.
• p8Jackson are planning to do the majority of the construction of the new bridge utilising the existing temporary traffic lights and have stated they do not anticipate any closures in 2026. Construction work has now started and will necessitate bringing in heavy civil engineering plant and materials so there may be short-term delays to traffic to facilitate this, but much of this will be done off-peak and at night to minimise disruption. Towards the end of the project in the late summer of 2027 Jackson need to construct the new approaches to the bridge from both directions as well as a new access to the Cuckmere Inn. The new bridge is, by necessity, higher than the existing bridge and therefore the approach roads on each side of the new bridge need to be reconstructed, new drainage and kerbing installed and it is this work that will necessitate road closures. Jackson are still finalising their programme and are working hard to minimise the length of closures and confirm the timing; much will depend how quickly the new earth embankments either side of the river ‘settle’ before they can start to construct the new roads. As these closures are not for at least 12 months, Jackson have plenty of time to liaise with the emergency services, with the bus companies and other stakeholders. When the road closures are in place there will be a fully sign-posted diversion route along the A27 via Polegate and Beddingham. Whilst we cannot prevent road users using the rural roads through Jevington, Litlington and Alfriston, we will discourage their use through appropriate signage, and of course there are already weight restrictions on all three roads. Jackson has employed a full-time Public Liaison Officer who is working hard already to keep local Members, Parish Councils, businesses, residents and other stakeholders informed.
• p4211) Question from Councillor Jobson to the Lead Member for Transport and Environment. Please can the Lead Member make sure Hastings is not left out of the additional funding 5.57 million on top of the £15.43m base line funding, making it 21million allocated for 2026/2027 to fill potholes and repair roads. Response by the Lead Member for Transport and Environment Hastings will not be excluded from investment funded through the Council's 2026/27 highways maintenance allocation. The approved capital programme includes highway maintenance and improvement schemes in Hastings, alongside other locations across the county. The Department for Transport (DfT) Highways Maintenance Block funding, including the incentive element of £5.57m, can be used for pothole repairs, but DfT policy is clear that the funding is intended for highway maintenance more broadly, not solely potholes. Structural carriageway resurfacing and preventative maintenance, footway maintenance, surface water drainage, bridges, cycleways and lighting assets can also be funded. The purpose of the funding is to help maintain and improve the long-term condition of the highway network and reduce the need for more extensive and costly repairs in the future. Local highway authorities have discretion to determine how best to spend the grant based on local priorities and asset management principles. This funding is awarded to highway authorities that can demonstrate best practice in highway asset management and maintenance planning. If an authority does not meet the required standards, the level of incentive funding can be reduced or withheld. It is capital funding for highway maintenance and asset renewal activities that help preserve and improve the long-term condition of the network, reducing the need for more extensive and costly repairs in the future.
• p50This is the current reported percentage of unclassified network length that requires maintenance rather than the target. The target is for no more than 25% of the unclassified road network to require maintenance. The Council keeps records of personal injury claims relating to alleged footway, kerb and tree-root defects. Since 2016/17 there have been 929 such claims, around 18% have resulted in settlement, with total settlement payments of approximately £1.5 million over that period. Settlement costs are met through the council's contractual highways maintenance arrangements and insurance provisions and are borne by the relevant term maintenance contractor rather than falling directly on the County Council's revenue budget. There is no statutory requirement for local highway authorities to undertake network-wide condition surveys of footways or to maintain a national performance target for footway condition. The Council follows the principles of the Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice and adopts a risk-based approach to managing its footway network, using information from safety inspections, condition assessments, reports from residents and Members, and other asset management data to prioritise maintenance where it is most needed. A percentage target for the overall condition of the footway network would not necessarily reflect the risk presented to pedestrians, nor would it ensure that investment was focused on the locations where it would deliver the greatest benefit. My priority is therefore to continue targeting investment and maintenance activity where it is most needed, ensuring that limited resources deliver the greatest benefit for pedestrians, particularly those who are older, disabled or otherwise vulnerable.