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Report to:
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Lead Member for
Transport and Environment
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Date of meeting:
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8 September 2025
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By:
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Director of
Communities, Economy and Transport
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Title:
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Review of Strategic
Highway Policies and Asset Management Plans
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Purpose:
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To present the outcomes of three related strands of work undertaken
as part of the Council’s scheduled review of strategic
highway documentation. The report outlines how this review will
maintain compliance with legislative requirements and is integral
to securing maximum Department for Transport (DfT) Incentive Fund
allocation.
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RECOMMENDATIONS: The Lead Member is recommended to:
(1)
Note the outcomes of the strategic review process
(2)
Approve the revised versions of the:
a)
Highways Asset Management Policy as set out at Appendix
3;
b)
Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Strategy as set out at
Appendix 4;
c)
Highway Network Resilience Plan as set out at Appendix
8;
d)
Highways Drainage Asset Management Policy as set out in Appendix
5; and
e)
Drainage Asset Management Plan (DAMP) as set out at Appendix
6;
and
(3)
Approve the implementation of new policies:
a)
Commuted Sums Policy and Guidance Note as set out at Appendices
9 and 10; and
b)
Winter Service Policy as set out at Appendix 11
with immediate effect, subject to final formatting and
publication.
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1. Background
Information
1.1.
As part of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Incentive
Funding requirements, East Sussex County Council (the Council) is
committed to publishing a clear and effective asset management
approach. The Council’s current suite of strategic highway
documents has served well, and this scheduled review provides an
opportunity to enhance scope, consistency, and relevance.
1.2.
We wish to ensure that The Council’s asset management
approach follows a clear “Policy to Pavement” pathway.
I.e. Policies set statutory duties, local priorities, and outcomes;
these are translated into Strategies and then into detailed asset
management plans that guide delivery in practice. This ensures a
direct line of sight from high-level decisions to the condition of
the network, providing transparency on service levels, trade-offs,
and the Council’s focus on keeping critical routes and
vulnerable users as the top priority.
1.3.
This review has been undertaken now as part of the Council’s
planned cycle of strategic document updates, ensuring our asset
management approach remains aligned with the latest DfT
requirements, current legislation, and emerging best practice. It
also reflects recent sector developments, including advances in
asset data systems, predictive modelling, and learning from
benchmarking with other high-performing authorities.
1.4.
The review of the Asset Management Policy and Strategy is intended
to set the overall direction and tone for the Council’s suite
of highways asset management documents. This approach and style
will be applied consistently across all asset groups to ensure a
coherent, integrated framework, with the Drainage Asset Management
Plan providing an example of what the individual asset management
plans will look like.
1.5.
The updates and new policies will be implemented within existing
budgets and staffing resources. No additional funding is required
and maintaining Band 3 status under the DfT Incentive Fund will
continue to secure the maximum level of highways funding available
to the Council.
1.6.
In practical terms, these changes mean better prioritisation of
maintenance works, stronger planning for severe weather, improved
drainage management to reduce flooding, and clearer communication
with residents and Councillors about how decisions are made.
2. Supporting
Information
Element 1: Revisions to the Asset Management Policy and Highway
Infrastructure Asset Management Strategy
2.1.
Summary of Formatting Enhancements – These formatting
refinements collectively aim to make the documents more
user-friendly for Council Members, operational teams, and the
public, promoting improved understanding, consistent
implementation, and transparent governance. To enhance the
usability and professionalism of the strategic highway documents,
the following formatting changes have been implemented:
·
Consistent Document Structure: All documents now follow a
standard format with clearly defined sections, headings, and
subheadings. This consistent structure improves navigation and
enables users to locate information quickly and intuitively.
·
Unified Terminology and Style: Terminology and acronyms have
been standardised across all documents to avoid confusion and
maintain a professional tone.
·
Improved Referencing and Cross-Referencing: Citations of
legislation, standards (including ISO 55000), and internal
documents have been updated and formatted uniformly.
Cross-references within and between documents have been added or
improved to reinforce coherence and ease of use.
·
Accessibility Considerations: Where appropriate, document
formats now adhere to accessibility best practice, including
appropriate font sizes, contrast and clear language, to ensure
materials are usable by a diverse range of stakeholders, including
those with disabilities.
2.2.
Key Changes to Documents – Following this
comprehensive review, the key amendments made to each strategic
document are summarised in Appendix 1, highlighting the specific
changes and the underlying reasons that informed these
updates.
2.3.
Benchmarking Overview – As part of the
Council’s commitment to continuous improvement and to ensure
ongoing alignment with national best practice, officers have
undertaken a benchmarking exercise comparing the Council’s
asset management documentation with that of 2 neighbouring
authorities: Kent County Council and West Sussex County Council.
Both are recognised for their similarly mature asset management
approaches and have demonstrated strong alignment with the
Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure (WMHI) Code and wider industry
standards. This exercise focused on reviewing the structure,
content, and strategic clarity of East Sussex County
Council’s documents, particularly the extent to which they
reflect a risk-based approach to managing highway infrastructure.
The detailed findings of the benchmarking review are provided in
Appendix 2.
2.4.
Maturity Model Evolution – A maturity model in
asset management is a structured framework used to evaluate how
systematically and effectively an organisation manages its assets.
It highlights current capabilities, identifies areas for
refinement, and supports continuous progression from basic
compliance to fully integrated, strategic asset management aligned
with long-term objectives.
2.5.
Current Maturity Position – Recent developments
in the Council’s asset management approach suggest that East
Sussex County Council has progressed from a Level 1–2
maturity, characterised by basic inventory management and reactive
maintenance, towards Level 3–4 maturity, where predictive
modelling, integrated data systems, and defined service standards
are now in place. This shift brings the Council more closely in
line with best practice guidance and regulatory expectations,
including:
·
Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure
·
ISO 55000 asset management principles
·
Environment Act 2021 requirements
2.6.
A proposed updated Highway Asset Management Policy can be found at
Appendix 3 and a proposed updated Highway Infrastructure Asset
Management Strategy 20225-20230 can be found at Appendix 4.
Element 2: Revised Highways Drainage Asset Management Policy,
Drainage Asset Management Plan and Updated Highway Network
Resilience Plan
2.7.
The Drainage Policy (2018) as set out in Appendix 5, has been
reviewed and revised to become a true strategic policy. The new
policy sets out high-level commitments, while the operational
detail has been transferred into the Drainage Asset Management Plan
2025–2030 (Appendix 6 and summarised in Appendix 7). This
clearer separation strengthens the overall framework and aligns
with the Council’s in-house style. Key differences between
the old and new policy are:
·
The old policy combined policy and operational detail; the new
policy sets high-level direction, with detail placed in the
Drainage Asset Management Plan.
·
The old policy tied drainage explicitly to Council priorities and
funding efficiency, the new policy frames drainage in terms of
risk, resilience, climate adaptation and compliance.
·
The old policy was short but operational; the new policy is
slightly longer, more strategic, and consistent with the refreshed
corporate style.
2.8.
The Drainage Asset Management Plan and Highway Network Resilience
Plan have been updated to provide clearer, more integrated
frameworks for protecting the highway network against flooding,
severe weather, and other disruptions. The proposed updated
documents incorporate the following changes:
·
Incorporates the same formatting enhancements and consistency
measures outlined in paragraph 2.1, ensuring clarity, accessibility
and ease of navigation.
·
Clarifies asset responsibilities, improves risk-based
prioritisation, and ensures drainage investment targets the areas
of greatest need.
·
The proposed updated Highway Network Resilience Plan found at
Appendix 8, strengthens planning for severe weather and disruption,
incorporating the latest resilience principles and links to the
Council’s resilient network.
·
Both documents are included in the summary of key changes at
Appendix 1 and fully align with WMHI Code, ISO 55000, and
Environment Act 2021 requirements, ensuring national compliance and
best practice integration.
Element 3: Introduction of Two New Targeted Policies
2.9.
Commuted Sums Policy – Current Process and
Formalisation – The Council currently agrees commuted
sums with developers on a case-by-case basis to cover the future
maintenance costs of newly adopted assets. These sums are secured
through legal agreements and held for use when maintenance is
required. This approach has allowed the Council to draw down funds
to meet long-term maintenance obligations; however, it relies on
individual negotiations and varying practices. While effective for
high-value items, such as structural works on bridges, the process
is time-consuming and impractical for lower-value assets, for
example, replacing a single lighting column. In these cases, the
Council has often absorbed the maintenance cost without additional
funding being released from the commuted sum. The proposed Commuted
Sums Policy (Appendix 9) proposed Public / Developers Guidance Note
(Appendix 10) will standardise the calculation, and collection
process, ensuring transparent, consistent, and equitable
arrangements in line with national best practice.
2.10.
Winter Service Policy – Update and Refinement
– The Council’s existing Winter Service Policy has
provided the framework for the current highways contract and
supported effective winter service delivery; a scheduled review
identified the need for refinement. The proposed updated policy can
be found at Appendix 11 and sets out clear, transparent criteria
for the inclusion of roads within the primary salting network and
will make explicit reference to the Council’s resilient
network, ensuring winter service priorities are closely aligned
with network resilience objectives.
2.11.
The Winter Service Policy forms the strategic tier of a 3-tier
framework, developed in line with recognised best practice, which
also includes a public-facing plan and an operational handbook.
Together, these tiers provide a clear and transparent structure for
delivering winter service, ensuring consistency in approach,
operational efficiency, and public understanding:
·
Winter Service Policy – sets the strategic direction and
principles for winter service delivery.
·
Public-facing plan – communicates the service approach,
priorities and expectations to residents and stakeholders (prepared
by the Contractor in partnership with the Contract Management
Group’s Asset Management Team).
·
Operational handbook – provides detailed procedures and
guidance for delivery teams - prepared by the Contractor and
updated annually.
3. Conclusion
and Reasons for Recommendations
3.1.
This scheduled review forms part of the Council’s planned
cycle of strategic document updates. It builds on the established
and effective framework provided by the existing strategic highway
policies and asset management plans, ensuring they remain fit for
purpose and aligned with current legislation, national guidance and
recognised best practice. The review is a proactive measure to
maintain clarity, consistency, and transparency in the
Council’s approach.
3.2.
Approval of the revised documents and new targeted policies
will:
·
Maintain the Council’s DfT Incentive Fund Band 3 status,
securing the highest level of funding available.
·
Provide clear, documented frameworks for decision-making,
complementing the robust approaches already in place.
·
Strengthen planning for severe weather, enhance drainage
management, and ensure investment priorities are based on risk and
whole-life value.
·
Formalise a consistent, transparent approach to developer
contributions through the Commuted Sums Policy; and
·
Establish a clear basis for responding to future winter service
network requests without altering existing agreed routes, ensuring
continuity while improving clarity.
3.3.
These updates will not reduce service levels or change existing
commitments, and no additional funding is required. They have been
developed entirely within existing budgets and staffing resources
and are designed to strengthen the Council’s asset management
approach, improve operational practicality, and provide greater
transparency for Members, staff and the public.
3.4.
The revisions and new policies reflect developments in legislation,
national guidance, and asset management practice, and have been
informed by benchmarking with other high-performing authorities and
the Council’s own advancements in asset management
maturity.
Director of Communities, Economy and
Transport
Contact Officer: Rosslyn Mills
Email: rosslyn.mills@eastsussex.gov.uk
LOCAL MEMBERS: All
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS:
APPENDICES:
Appendix 1 – Summary of Key Changes to Strategic Highway
Documents
Appendix 2 – Benchmarking Review Findings
Appendix 3 – Highway Asset Management Policy
Appendix 4 – Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Strategy
2025-2030
Appendix 5 – Highway Infrastructure Drainage Policy 2025
Appendix 6 - Highway Drainage Asset Management Plan
2025-2030
Appendix 7 – Drainage Asset Management Plan Summary
Appendix 8 – Highway Network Resilience Plan 2025-2030
Appendix 9 – Draft Commuted Sums Policy
Appendix 10– Draft Commuted Sum at New Development Guidance
Note
Appendix 11 – Draft Winter Service Policy