Keeping the city moving – councillors consider proposal for greater co-ordination of roadworks
A proposal aimed at improving the co-ordination of roadworks in Brighton & Hove to reduce disruption will be considered by councillors at a meeting on October 13.
Members of Brighton & Hove City Council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee will be recommended to give the go ahead to developing a citywide Traffic Network Management Strategy.
With a number of major of projects underway in the city centre or in the pipeline, the aim is to ensure associated roadworks and infrastructure improvements are more closely planned and co-ordinated, to avoid work taking place at the same time or in the same area.
Scheduling of roadworks undertaken by utility companies will also be included under the proposal, along with road improvements and maintenance work carried out by the city council, building on a Traffic Management Permit Scheme introduced earlier this year (more information below).
Dates and locations of special events in the city will also be taken into account, to ensure residents and visitors can move around the city easily.
If agreed in principle by the committee, more detailed plans for the Traffic Network Management Strategy will be brought back to a future meeting of the committee for approval.
Councillor Gill Mitchell, chair of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee said: “There is a lot of investment going on in the city and a number of big developments coming up, which is great for Brighton & Hove. Work has just started on the redevelopment of the Circus Street market site, for example, and the redevelopment of the Royal Sussex County Hospital is underway, and we want to make sure we keep the city safely on the move while major projects are carried out.
“A roadworks permit scheme was introduced in March for scheduling of routine work and this proposal takes things a step further. We want to ensure we plan ahead and co-ordinate all the various things that affect the cities roads - major projects, transport projects, and roadworks - to minimise disruption and congestion and benefit everyone travelling around the city.”
She added: “There will inevitably always be some occasions when emergency roadworks have to be carried out, if there is a gas leak for example, but these can be dealt with alongside planned work”.
More information
See report which will be considered by the Environment, Transport and Sustainability committee for more background, agenda item 28:
For more details about the Traffic Management Permit scheme introduced earlier this year: