The Economy, Infrastructure and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Tuesday 22 July 2025 to discuss the establishment of a Network Management Working Group, updates to the Work Programme, and to exclude the public from the meeting for items involving exempt information. Councillor Conor Wileman was appointed as the Chair of the Network Management Working Group. The committee also received updates on a site visit to Litchfield Highway Depot, the scheduling of an additional meeting to consider the local transport plan, a site visit to the Staffordshire Highways Laboratory, and a briefing on flood risk management.

Network Management Working Group

The committee voted to establish a Network Management Working Group to investigate the relationship between Staffordshire County Council and its stakeholders in managing the road network, with a particular focus on the duration of permits for road closures. Councillor Conor Wileman was appointed as the Chair of the Working Group. Councillors Thomas Baker, Su Beardmore, Jon Pendleton, and Simon Tagg were appointed as members.

Work Programme Report

Jacob, whose role is not specified in the transcript, provided an update on the Work Programme Report, highlighting several key points:

• Network Management Working Group: The committee formally established the Network Management Working Group, confirming its membership and chairmanship.
• Litchfield Highway Depot Visit: A site visit to Litchfield Highway Depot had taken place on Wednesday 12 March 2025, and notes from the visit were available in Appendix 1 of the report.
• Work Programme Update: A working version of the Work Programme was now available following the planning session on Monday 16 June.
• Local Transport Plan: An additional meeting was scheduled for Monday 17 November at 2pm to specifically consider the local transport plan. Jacob explained that this was due to the plan's significance and the amount of time the committee was expected to dedicate to it, as well as to align with Cabinet dates.
• Staffordshire Highways Laboratory Visit: A site visit to the Staffordshire Highways Laboratory was scheduled for 1pm on Thursday 25 September, following the committee meeting.
• Flood Risk Management Briefing: A separate briefing on flood risk management was arranged for the afternoon of 20 November, with further details to be provided to the committee.

Exclusion of Public

The committee voted to exclude the public from the meeting for the following items of business, citing the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972¹.