Appendix 3, Lead Member for Transport and Environment

For decision · This went to the meeting on Mon 8 Sep 2025. What was decided is in that meeting's minutes.

This appendix sets out a highway asset management policy for East Sussex County Council, owned by the council's Highway Asset Management Team, with the Lead Member for Transport and Environment listed as the decision maker and a review date of July 2028. p1

The stated purpose is to maintain a safe, sustainable and resilient highway network in a financially responsible way, following national best practice while dealing with local issues such as ageing assets and climate risks. p1

The policy says work would be prioritised against the council's four overarching outcomes: driving sustainable economic growth, keeping vulnerable people safe, helping people help themselves, and making best use of resources now and for the future. p1p2p3

To deliver this, the document lists commitments including complying with legal, environmental and safety obligations, working with partners and neighbouring authorities, seeking local and national funding, giving priority to the Resilient Network so routes stay open during adverse events, and engaging with stakeholders and communities. p4p5p6p7p8

It also describes an end-to-end asset management system that would manage the full life of assets, track performance through published indicators, and support new technologies, and lists supporting documents such as the Local Transport Plan, the Highway Asset Management Strategy 2025-2030 and the East Sussex Climate Emergency Plan. p9p11p14p16p18

Show the 13 passages this is based on

• p1Policy Owner: Highway Asset Management Team Approved By: Lead Member Transport and Environment Date of Approval: July 2025 Review Date : July 2028 Purpose of Policy To create long-term value by maintaining a safe, sustainable, and resilient highway network that supports the needs of our communities and economy. East Sussex County Council recognises that an asset management approach is essential to achieving this, aligning with our Council Priorities and Local Transport Plan. This policy reflects East Sussex’s commitment to maintaining highway infrastructure in a financially responsible manner. It follows national best practices while addressing local challenges such as aging assets and climate risks, ensuring that decisions are data-driven, risk-based and focused on continuous improvement. Policy Statement East Sussex County Council is committed to managing the highway network through co-ordinated, efficient, and sustainable service delivery. Our asset management approach focuses on resilience, ensuring the network can withstand and recover from disruption while delivering long-term performance within available investment. We operate a risk-based approach to proactively identify and manage risks such as climate impacts, natural hazards and asset deterioration. In line with our Climate Emergency Plan, we also support the Council’s ambition to reduce carbon emissions an embed sustainability in highway operations. We will prioritise our work based on the Council’s four overarching outcomes:
• p2• Driving sustainable economic growth. • Keeping vulnerable people safe.
• p3• Helping people help themselves. • Making best use of resources now and for the future. “Making best use of resources” underpins all our decisions, ensuring efficiency and value for money. To deliver this we will:
• p4• Comply with all legal, environmental, and safety obligations
• p5• Collaborate with partners and neighbours to align priorities and optimise outcomes
• p6• Maximise opportunities and funding locally and nationally
• p7• Prioritise the Resilient Network to ensure access and continuity during adverse events
• p8• Engage with stakeholders to support transparency, build trust, and respond to community needs
• p9This policy shall be delivered through a co-ordinated end-to-end asset management system that:
• p11· Manages the full lifecycle of our assets to enable sustainable, risk-based investment
• p14· Tracks and reviews performance against defined objectives, including through published indicators
• p16· Supports innovation and the adoption of new technologies to enhance asset management effectiveness
• p18The delivery of this policy will be overseen by designated officers with clear roles and responsibilities. It will be regularly reviewed to ensure alignment with evolving best practice and Council priorities. Supporting Information • Council Plan & Local Transport Plan (LTP4) • Highway Asset Management Strategy 2025-2030 • East Sussex Climate Emergency Plan