Councillor Claire Dowling, Lead Member for Transport and Environment, approved recommendations concerning highway maintenance funding, a petition regarding the Stagecoach 51 bus service, updates to the Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) funding request assessment process, and a review of strategic highway policies and asset management plans.

Review of Strategic Highway Policies and Asset Management Plans

Councillor Claire Dowling approved revised versions of the Highway Asset Management Policy, the Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Strategy, the Highway Network Resilience Plan, the Highways Drainage Asset Management Policy, and the Drainage Asset Management Plan (DAMP). She also approved the implementation of new policies regarding commuted sums and winter service.

The review, which is part of a scheduled cycle of updates, aims to ensure the documents align with current legislation, national guidance, and best practices. The approval of these documents is expected to maintain the council's Department for Transport Incentive Fund Band 3 status, securing the highest level of funding available.

The new policies include a Commuted Sums Policy and Guidance Note, which formalises a consistent and transparent approach to developer contributions, and a Winter Service Policy, which establishes clear criteria for including roads in the primary salting network.

The review involved benchmarking with Kent County Council and West Sussex County Council, and incorporates developments in asset data systems and predictive modelling.

Petition to stop Stagecoach changing the 51 bus service to Eastbourne from half hourly to hourly

Councillor Claire Dowling addressed a petition calling for the council to prevent Stagecoach from reducing the frequency of the 51 bus service between Eastbourne, Heathfield and Tunbridge Wells from half-hourly to hourly.

Ms Erin Wigham, the lead petitioner, spoke about the loss of passenger confidence in Stagecoach and the lack of response to passenger complaints.

Councillor Claire Dowling resolved to advise petitioners that:

• Stagecoach could not sustain a half-hourly service due to costs and passenger numbers.
• The council cannot afford the subsidy required without compromising other bus services and fare initiatives.
• The council will continue working with Stagecoach to improve service timekeeping.

The council acknowledged the petition but stated that the current hourly service was still running at a loss, and a higher frequency was not financially sustainable. The council said it was reliant on future revenue funding allocations from the UK government to support socially necessary services.

The council had worked with Stagecoach to resolve a morning timetabling issue and an issue regarding reduced service capacity between Heathfield and Tunbridge Wells schools.

East Sussex Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) - Funding Request Assessment Process

Councillor Claire Dowling approved revisions to the scheme request assessment process to align with the East Sussex Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4). The updated process will inform how transport schemes are prioritised for the annual Integrated Transport Capital Programme from 2026/27 onwards.

The revisions include a high-level sift and a detailed appraisal assessment, with a focus on assessing requests against the 26 East Sussex LTP4 outcomes rather than the 6 objectives. The new approach removes weighting applied to road safety, economic growth, or geographic extent, giving equal weighting to the LTP4 objectives.

The approach will be subject to ongoing review, and consideration will be given to changes coming forward as part of a longer-term funding settlement for transport associated with the proposed Sussex Mayoral Combined County Authority from May 2026.

Highway Maintenance Incentive Funding 2025/26

Councillor Claire Dowling approved the draft East Sussex County Council Incentive Fund Report to the Department for Transport (DfT). The report provides information regarding the value of the council’s highway assets and evidence that the council is following certain best practice criteria.

A condition of the 2025/26 Highway Maintenance Block Funding is to provide information to the DfT regarding the value of the council’s highway assets and evidence that the council is following certain best practice criteria. Failure to comply may result in the government withdrawing £1,392,500 from the 2025/26 Highway Maintenance Block funding.