Agenda item

This Council is concerned that the mean average highways maintenance backlog in the city is 19.8 years, pointing to significant under investment in the city’s roads by the current administration.

Council is further concerned that budget amendments to increase highways capital investment have been repeatedly ignored suggesting that the administration do not see highways investment as a priority. This is particularly the case when set against a backdrop of massive borrowing and debt incurred by the authority since 2010, meaning that in 2022/23 up to £63.5m will be spent on MRP debt and interest, money that could have been spent on frontline services or prioritised towards highways investment.

Council further notes significant Government investment in highways and transport in recent years both in Leeds and nationally:

·  £173.5m or the Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme

·  £200m for development and delivery of a mass transit scheme in Leeds

·  £4.8m in pothole grant funding allocated in 2021/22

·  £2.7 billion in local highways maintenance funding between 2022/23 and 2024/25 to local authorities outside of London and the 8 largest city regions

·  £20m Levelling Up funding for West Leeds transport improvements

·  CRSTS funding of £830m announced in April 2022

This Council believes that Leeds residents see highways maintenance as a major priority both in terms of road safety, amenity and to prevent damage to vehicles. Council therefore calls for a report to be brought to Executive Board setting out how highways maintenance will be prioritised and how much additional investment the Council will make in the city’s roads in the coming years.

It was moved by Councillor Andrew Carter, seconded by Councillor Lamb that this Council is concerned that the mean average highways maintenance backlog in the city is 19.8 years, pointing to significant under investment in the city’s roads by the current administration.

Council is further concerned that budget amendments to increase highways capital investment have been repeatedly ignored suggesting that the administration do not see highways investment as a priority. This is particularly the case when set against a backdrop of massive borrowing and debt incurred by the authority since 2010, meaning that in 2022/23 up to £63.5m will be spent on MRP debt and interest, money that could have been spent on frontline services or prioritised towards highways investment.

Council further notes significant Government investment in highways and transport in recent years both in Leeds and nationally:

·  £173.5m or the Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme

·  £200m for development and delivery of a mass transit scheme in Leeds

·  £4.8m in pothole grant funding allocated in 2021/22

·  £2.7 billion in local highways maintenance funding between 2022/23 and 2024/25 to local authorities outside of London and the 8 largest city regions

·  £20m Levelling Up funding for West Leeds transport improvements

·  CRSTS funding of £830m announced in April 2022

This Council believes that Leeds residents see highways maintenance as a major priority both in terms of road safety, amenity and to prevent damage to vehicles. Council therefore calls for a report to be brought to Executive Board setting out how highways maintenance will be prioritised and how much additional investment the Council will make in the city’s roads in the coming years.

An amendment was moved by Councillor Golton, seconded by Councillor Downes

In the first paragraph insert the words ‘and pavements’ after ‘….city’s roads’

In the second paragraph delete everything (including bullet points) after ‘…as a priority.’

Retain the final paragraph and insert after ‘…highways maintenance’ the words ‘,residential parking capacity, and pedestrian accessibility’ and insert the words ‘and pavements’ after the words ‘…city’s roads’

The amended White Paper would then read as follows:

“This Council is concerned that the mean average highways maintenance backlog in the city is 19.8 years, pointing to significant under investment in the city’s roads and pavements by the current administration.

Council is further concerned that budget amendments to increase highways capital investment have been repeatedly ignored suggesting that the administration do not see highways investment as a priority.

This Council believes that Leeds residents see highways maintenance, residential parking capacity, and pedestrian accessibility as a major priority both in terms of road safety, amenity and to prevent damage to vehicles. Council therefore calls for a report to be brought to Executive Board setting out how highways maintenance will be prioritised and how much additional investment the Council will make in the city’s roads and pavements in the coming years.”

A second amendment was moved by Councillor Hayden, seconded by Councillor Carlill

Delete All after “This Council” and replace with:

…..“welcomes the decision by the Labour Administration to increase highways funding in Leeds since 2010, meaning the city tops the list of all councils nationwide for highways investment with over £20m programmed to be spent in wards all across the city this year alone.  

Council notes investment in highways would have been significantly higher had the Conservative Government not imposed severe cuts to local authority budgets, including for highways, with £2.2bn cut from council services in Leeds since 2010.

Council calls on all political groups to support a communication to whoever the Conservative Party select to be their new Prime Minister to call on them to provide better, long-term, secure funding to address over a decade’s worth of cuts, rather than ad hoc one off grants that are woefully small in the face of the £200M the city’s roads need.

This Council also notes that Highways Maintenance is just one area where cuts to Leeds have been to the detriment of Leeds residents and calls on the Government to give the people of Leeds the funding they deserve.”

The amendment in the name of Councillor Golton was declared lost the amendment in the name of Councillor Hayden was carried and upon being put to the vote it was

RESOLVED – That this Council welcomes the decision by the Labour Administration to increase highways funding in Leeds since 2010, meaning the city tops the list of all councils nationwide for highways investment with over £20m programmed to be spent in wards all across the city this year alone.  

Council notes investment in highways would have been significantly higher had the Conservative Government not imposed severe cuts to local authority budgets, including for highways, with £2.2bn cut from council services in Leeds since 2010.

Council calls on all political groups to support a communication to whoever the Conservative Party select to be their new Prime Minister to call on them to provide better, long-term, secure funding to address over a decade’s worth of cuts, rather than ad hoc one off grants that are woefully small in the face of the £200M the city’s roads need.

This Council also notes that Highways Maintenance is just one area where cuts to Leeds have been to the detriment of Leeds residents and calls on the Government to give the people of Leeds the funding they deserve.”