NoM - Highways - Amendment

Proposed · This went to the meeting on Tue 24 Mar 2026. What was decided is in that meeting's minutes.

The wording the amendment would delete asks the Cabinet to bring the highways service back into council ownership and control by 2030, including adopting an "In-house by Default" policy and mandating a feasibility study on insourcing the Highways Term Maintenance Contract before it expires. p3p4p5p6

The replacement wording says the core issue is long-term national underfunding of highways maintenance, calls on Government to provide fair, sustained funding, and confirms that all delivery options, including in-house provision, are assessed at each contract renewal. p11

It also asks the Council to note practical and financial risks of bringing highways fully in-house, including substantial upfront capital costs, higher long-term pension liabilities, and no guarantee of lower overall costs. p12p13p14p17

It further states that current contracts deliver social value, such as local employment and apprenticeships, and asks Cabinet to continue securing best value through procurement, contract management, and performance standards. p18

1 further sentence of this summary was held back by verification and is not shown. We only publish claims that survived checking against the cited passages.

Show the 10 passages this is based on

• p3This Council Resolves to: (delete the following wording)
• p4Request the Cabinet to bring the highways service back into council ownership and control by 2030. This will likely involve:
• p5Adopting an "In-house by Default" and Intelligent Client Policy , making direct delivery the baseline against which all future outsourcing proposals are measured.
• p6Mandating a formal Insourcing and Council Ownership Feasibility Study for the Highways Term Maintenance Contract (TMC) no later than 18 months before its expiry.
• p11[replace with the following wording] Recognise the core issue is long-term national underfunding of highways maintenance, placing growing pressure on East Sussex residents and road users. Call on Government to provide fair, sustained funding to enable proper planned maintenance and reduce costly reactive repairs. Confirm that all delivery options — including in-house provision — are already fully and fairly assessed at each contract renewal and supports a fair and open approach to future service delivery decisions based on evidence, value for money, and the best interests of residents.
• p124. Note the significant practical and financial risks of bringing highways fully in-house, including:
• p13• Substantial upfront capital costs (vehicles, depots, equipment), likely requiring additional borrowing
• p14• Higher long-term pension liabilities falling on taxpayers
• p17• No guarantee of lower overall costs despite removal of contractor profit
• p18Recognise that current contracts already deliver strong social value, including local employment, apprenticeships, and community investment. Request Cabinet to continue securing best value for residents through robust procurement, strong contract management, clear performance standards, and taking firm action where contractors fail to deliver.