Council asks for views on its Highways Service

Cheshire West and Chester Council is asking for views on its Highways Service, which is responsible for assets in excess of £5 billion.

The Highways Service keeps the borough’s road network moving and is important to everyone, from residents and visitors to the emergency services and travel companies.

However, as well as roads and pavements, the service also covers street lighting, bridges and structures - like the Chester’s City Walls, traffic signals, public footpaths, trees and gullies.

Consultation participants will be provided with information on current corporate priorities, the budgetary pressures facing the service, and how the service must balance response times and service standards.

The Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, Councillor Karen Shore said: “The Council is seeking your views to help us decide what the priorities  of the services provided by our Highways team  should be in the future.

“With a budget of around £20 million our Highways Service is one of the largest in the Council. Financial pressures are increasing due to reduced Government funding, combined with competing demands for general road maintenance and new capital projects.  This means we will need to be both prudent and innovative in our future approach.

“We are seeking feedback on your experience of the current service, what you think should be prioritised in the future, the scope of services and key criteria for the new service.

“Our usual consultation methods have been amended in the light of the ongoing pandemic to ensure we are able to offer alternative ways to take part in the consultation in a way that are safe and manageable during this time.  The consultation is open to everyone online via our easy-to-use Participate Now software and anyone can email or write to us to give their views too.  I hope as many people as possible will get involved.”

The eight-week consultation period starts on 6 July 2020 and closes on 30 August 2020.  Residents can give their views by taking part online at: www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/highwaysconsultation.

Comments can also be sent to the Council by the following methods:

• Email: Highwayservicedelivery@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
• Postal address: 'Delivering our Highways’, Insight and Intelligence, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Council Offices, 4 Civic Way, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BE

The questionnaire is also available in accessible formats (easy read, braille) upon request.

The National Highways Transport (NHT) Network is also carrying out a survey at the moment and will be contacting a random sample of respondents to take part.  While that national benchmarking project is separate to the Council’s consultation, its results will also be used to inform future decisions on the Highways Service.