The current Local Highways Improvement (LHI) process has been reviewed and changes suggested, which will be discussed at the Highways and Transport Committee on Tuesday, 4 October.
The Local Highway Improvement programme covers all districts in Cambridgeshire, with applicants such as parish or town councils able to apply for funding of up to £15,000 per project. The schemes are community driven and give local people the opportunity to put forward proposals for highway improvements in their area.
The existing process is considered complex and often time-consuming, so a cross-party group of members was set-up, following approval at committee in April, to review and improve the process. They have recommended a new way of working that aims to deliver the programme more efficiently.
Some of the suggested improvements include: introducing two different categories for applications for either non-complex or complex schemes, changes to the funding amounts depending on the category the application will fall into, an agreed prioritisation matrix to score and rank non-complex applications and a switch to using an online application form.
Cllr Alex Beckett, chair of the Highways and Transport Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “Over the past few months, members from all the political groups came together to look at the current LHI process and identify where changes can be made going forward. We wanted to understand why some projects were taking longer to be delivered. There was a lot of time and resources needed from all those involved in the process, and we wanted to improve how applications are scored and assessed.
“If agreed, the new changes will come into effect in time for the 2022 application process (for 2023/24 delivery) with a slightly revised timeline for applicants. LHIs are a tool for local communities to invest in the issues that are often of great local concern, so it’s important we make that process as easy and efficient as possible.”
Members of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Highways and Transport Committee will decide whether to approve the improvements at a meeting on 4 October.
The papers for the meeting, including a full list of the proposed changes to the LHI schemes, can be found on the council’s website here. The meeting will be live streamed on the council’s YouTube channel and can be viewed here.
