Appendix 4, 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.

The strategy sets out how East Sussex County Council would manage the highway assets it is responsible for, including roads, footways and cycleways, bridges and retaining walls, drainage, street lighting, traffic signals and street furniture. p5p18

It states that decisions would be based on risk, whole-life planning of assets, and priority for a "Resilient Network" of routes seen as essential for emergency response, economic activity and community access, with less critical routes managed at a safe and acceptable standard. p5p25p80

The document reports that investment modelling in February 2025 indicated around £23 million a year would be needed to keep carriageways in a steady state alone, while average capital investment across several asset types has been around £20 million a year. p78p80

It also says the council is moving from the XA system to Confirm as its asset management system in 2025 and adopting a lifecycle modelling tool called Predictor from September 2025, and it values the network at a gross replacement cost of about £5.5 billion with depreciation of about £1.6 billion. p43p56p57

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• p5Executive Summary The East Sussex highway network is one of the county’s most valuable public assets—vital to economic activity, daily travel, and community wellbeing. As pressures grow from climate change, funding constraints, and ageing infrastructure, a clear, strategic approach to managing this network is more important than ever. This Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Strategy 2025–2030 sets out how East Sussex County Council will manage its highway assets in a safe, sustainable and cost-effective way. Guided by the principles of risk-based decision-making, whole-life asset planning and alignment with ISO 55000, the strategy ensures resources are focused where they deliver the greatest public value. Key priorities include: · Protecting the Resilient Network – the roads and routes essential for emergency response, economic continuity and community access. · Targeted investment using lifecycle modelling and data-driven planning to maximise long-term value. · Balancing resources across the network, with priority given to the resilience of the most important routes for our communities. · Ongoing innovation - embracing both digital technologies and physical advancements to strengthen performance and ensure continuous improvement Delivery will be led through The Council’s long-term partnership with Balfour Beatty Living Places, underpinned by performance-based contracting and collaborative governance. Regular reviews will ensure the strategy adapts to new risks, changing policy, and stakeholder needs. Cllr Dowling Lead Member for Transport and Environment Rupert Clubb Director of Communities, Economy and Transport
• p18· Deliver joined-up outcomes, including safer roads, a more resilient network, and more sustainable construction practices. The strategy is designed to be adaptive and will be reviewed regularly to reflect emerging policy, changing risks and future funding opportunities. It is the strategic framework for asset management; it does not cover operational detail. Specific approaches to the management of individual asset groups are set out in the Asset Management Plans which sit beneath this strategy . 1.1. What is Highway Asset Management? Highway asset management is a strategic, data-driven approach to optimising the lifecycle of highway infrastructure assets. It supports informed decision making that balances cost, risk and performance. Ensuring a safe, reliable and sustainable transport network for current and future users. At East Sussex, this work is led by the Asset Management Team, a specialist group within The Council’s Contract Management Group. The Asset Management Team brings together expertise in data analysis, engineering, planning and risk management to ensure that national policy, local priorities, and funding are translated into effective, evidence-based programmes of work. 1.2. Asset Covered The strategy applies to all highway assets for which The Council is the Highway Authority under the Highways Act 1980. This includes, but is not limited to: · Carriageways (roads maintained at public expense) · Footways and cycleways · Structures (bridges, retaining walls, culverts) · Drainage systems (including gullies and roadside ditches) · Street lighting and illuminated signs · Traffic signals and associated systems · Street furniture (e.g. barriers, bollards, benches, and signage) This strategy does not apply to:
• p25Core Principles of Highway Asset Management The Council’s approach to highway asset management is built on a set of core principles that guide all decisions, from high-level strategy to day-to-day operations. These principles reflect national best practice, including ISO 55000 and the UK Roads Liaison Group’s Code of Practice. They ensure that The Council makes informed, consistent, and transparent decisions that deliver the greatest value to residents and the wider economy: · Risk-Based Decision Making – prioritising interventions based on the likelihood and consequence of asset failure. · Whole-Life Asset Planning – considering the full lifecycle of every asset to avoid reactive, short-term fixes. · Resilience and Critical Network Focus – giving heightened priority to the Resilient Network essential for emergency response, economic continuity and daily access. · Financial Sustainability – applying prioritisation where resources are constrained, focusing spend on critical assets while managing lower-risk parts of the network at a safe and acceptable standard. · Data-Led, Transparent Planning – using tools like Confirm and Predictor to drive modelling, forecasting, and prioritisation, supported by clear performance reporting. · Continuous Improvement and Innovation – fostering a culture of learning, piloting new materials and methods, and engaging with national initiatives to benchmark and improve. 3. Governance and Delivery The governance and delivery arrangements for this strategy are structured to ensure transparency, risk-based planning, and alignment with long-term asset management principles. 3.1. Governance The Council operates a defined governance framework to oversee contract delivery and strategic outcomes:
• p43Asset Management System Transition In 2025 The Council are transitioning from the XA system to Confirm as its centralised Asset Management System (AMS). This transition brings us into alignment with BBLP (term contractor) system, promoting more seamless data integration, operational efficiency and shared visibility of asset and works information. In parallel, in September 2025 to support long-term, risk-based decisions across all asset groups, the Asset Management Team are adopting Predictor - a specialist lifecycle modelling and investment planning tool. Predictor enables robust scenario modelling, optimised maintenance strategies and data-driven prioritisation of works programmes, particularly in the context of constrained budgets and climate resilience. 7.2. Role of Data in Asset Management Asset data supports a wide range of asset management functions, including: · Maintaining accurate inventories of asset types and locations · Tracking condition trends through regular surveys and inspections · Supporting lifecycle modelling and funding decisions · Planning and programming both reactive and planned maintenance · Managing risk and resilience across the network · Demonstrating accountability and transparency in decision making 7.3. Core Systems and Integration The Confirm AMS integrates the following data sources and functions: · Asset Registers. Comprehensive inventories for carriageways, footways, structures, lighting, signs, drainage and street furniture. · Condition Surveys and Inspections. Data from Course Visual Inspections (CVI), SCANNER, SCRIM, structural inspections and other regime-based surveys. · Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Spatial referencing of assets and work locations. · Customer Service Records. Capturing enquiries, complaints and public reports. · Works Ordering and Job Management. Real-time tracking of inspections, repairs and programmed works.
• p56£5,536,365,280 £3,923,143,880 £1,613,221,400
• p57· The Gross Replacement Cost (GRC) represents the estimated cost to replace all GRC (Gross Replacement Cost): Cost to replace all assets with new equivalents. · DRC (Depreciated Replacement Cost): Current value of assets after accounting for wear and age. The £1.6 billion depreciation gap highlights the scale of investment needed to restore the network to "as new" condition. This gap highlights the importance of prioritising preventative maintenance and targeted renewals to arrest decline and reduce future liabilities. A full asset revaluation will be carried out in the next strategy cycle (2025-27), following CIPFA, HM Treasury, and DfT Incentive Fund guidance, ensuring robust evidence for future funding bids and lifecycle investment planning. Development Area 3 – Asset Revaluation & Depreciation Update 9. Risk Management Risk management is embedded throughout The Council’s asset management approach and aligns with the principles of ISO 55000, the UK Highways Infrastructure Asset Management Guidance (HIAMG), and the Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice (UKRLG, 2016). In line with core principles (Section 2.6), we apply a proportionate, risk-based methodology to all aspects of maintenance planning, investment and service delivery.
• p7829,535 33,877 28,540 16,667 At first glance, the total spend appears substantial; however, under the adopted contract model The Council outsources design and supervision responsibilities to The Contractor. When we take these, and other contractual overheads into account, the budget available to deliver the highway maintenance function across a range of asset types has averaged at £20 million per year. 10.2. Incentivised Funding Alignment From 2025/26, 25% of the Department for Transport’s capital maintenance allocation will be conditional on councils demonstrating best practice in asset management. This Asset Management Strategy shows that The Council is fully aligned with the DfT framework, embedding risk-based decision-making, preventative maintenance, and data-led planning. By doing so, The Council is positioning itself to secure the highest possible banding and therefore the full incentive funding available. While non-compliance would risk a reduction in resources, The Council’s approach provides confidence that it will maximise funding and deliver a safer, more reliable, and more sustainable highway network. 10.3. Investment Prioritisation Investment is prioritised based on asset criticality, condition, and whole-life cost, with enhanced focus on the Resilient Network (see Section 6.3). This ensures essential routes and high-risk assets are maintained to safe and serviceable standards. Key investment principles include:
• p8010.4. Prioritising Within Constraints Investment modelling undertaken on the Carriageway Asset in February 2025 indicated that maintaining a steady state would require around £23 million per year for that asset type alone. With average capital investment across several asset types at around £20 million per year (see Section 10.1). The Council therefore applies a prioritised approach to asset management. This means focusing resources on the most critical and heavily used parts of the network, while managing less critical routes and assets at a safe and acceptable standard. By applying this approach, The Council ensures that risks remain low, impacts are limited, and resources are concentrated on the infrastructure that matters most to residents and the wider economy. This strategy not only makes best use of available resources but also demonstrates to stakeholders that The Council is planning responsibly, transparently, and in line with national best practice. While the funding challenge is clear, our approach ensures that every pound invested delivers the greatest possible benefit and supports a safer, more reliable, and more sustainable network. This approach: · Directs funding where failure would have the greatest impact. · Allows for a lower level of intervention on assets that carry lower risks or usage. · Maintains transparency with stakeholders about realistic outcomes.. 10.5. Efficiency and Improvement The Council continues to seek efficiencies in planning, delivery, and monitoring through: