The Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee of Lincolnshire County Council met on Monday, 26 January 2026, to discuss the 2026/27 budget proposals, review the annual public transport report, and receive updates on winter service performance and the FixMyStreet platform. Key decisions included supporting recommendations for the North Hykeham Relief Road to proceed to construction and endorsing the 2026/27 Strategic Route Surfacing Procurement.

Budget Proposals 2026/2027

The committee reviewed the budget proposals for Highways and Transport services for the upcoming financial year. Pam Clipson, Head of Financial Services, presented a report indicating that the council could balance its budget across the 2026-2030 medium-term financial plan. The proposals included a revenue budget increase for Transport services to £76,366,023 and for Highways to £57,564,755. The increase in transport costs is largely attributed to home-to-school transport, with rising fuel, vehicle, and driver costs, alongside increased demand for specialist SEND transport. For Highways, the budget increase is primarily due to contract inflationary pressures and additional funding for drainage improvements. The report also detailed capital funding allocations for local highway maintenance, with Lincolnshire County Council expected to receive approximately £60.4 million in 2025 and £62 million in 2026. The committee was asked to provide comments on these proposals for consideration by the Executive.

Public Transport Annual Report

Stuart Eccles, Manager – Network Design, and Mike Reed, Head of Transport Services, presented the annual update on public transport services supported by Lincolnshire County Council. The report highlighted a 91% satisfaction rating for bus services in Lincolnshire, placing the county second nationally in a Transport Focus survey. Significant improvements have been made through the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), funded by the Department for Transport (DfT), with a focus on increasing the frequency of town services to at least every 30 minutes and inter-urban corridors to hourly. The report detailed patronage increases on enhanced services in Gainsborough, Grantham, Sleaford, Stamford, and Skegness, as well as Lincoln's evening services. Inter-urban services such as the Skegness-Mablethorpe (IC59), Spalding-Peterborough (IC37), Louth-Mablethorpe (50A), and Lincoln-Grimsby (IC53) have also seen increased usage following frequency enhancements. The report also outlined substantial improvements to bus stop infrastructure, including the installation of 393 poles, 29 new stops with hardstanding, refurbishment of 108 shelters, installation of 37 new shelters, and the deployment of 130 real-time information displays at bus stops and 18 larger screens at key locations. Furthermore, 10 new Mercedes Cityline vehicles were purchased for the Callconnect demand-responsive transport service, representing a £1.4 million investment. Callconnect has seen a 71% uptake of its app-based booking option and maintained a 94% punctuality rate. The council continues to support 146 local bus services, with 79 tendered and 67 receiving subsidies.

Winter Service – Interim Report

Jonathan Evans, Head of Highways Client, and Clair Dixon, Policy and Strategic Asset Manager, provided an interim report on the winter service. The council operates a precautionary salting network covering 3,018 km of roads, with 43 gritters strategically located across the county. As of 13th January 2026, 12,314 tonnes of salt had been used across 44 precautionary salting runs. The early part of the season was mild, but colder conditions set in from mid-November, leading to increased activity. A significant cold period occurred from 30th December to 11th January, requiring twice-daily salting on most days due to persistent icy conditions. The report noted an increase in requests for grit bin refills and the distribution of one-tonne salt bags to Parish Councils. Twenty-one requests have been received to add additional roads to the precautionary salting network, which will be reviewed during the summer assessment period.

FixMyStreet Update

Jonathan Evans, Head of Highways Client, and Ellen Kelman, Highways Liaison Manager, presented an update on the FixMyStreet platform. The platform, used by Lincolnshire County Council since 2018, processed 45,423 reports in 2025, with Roads and Cycleways and Pavement and Verge being the most common reporting categories. FixMyStreet accounts for over 75% of highway enquiries. The report detailed recent and planned improvements, including clearer customer updates with timestamps, refined template responses for better communication, and improved routing and signposting of reports. Additional map layers for grass cutting schedules and specific street lighting asset selection have been added. Planned improvements over the next 12 months include a customer satisfaction survey, an enhanced reporting process with features like What3Words, the addition of drainage cleanse information, the inclusion of tree assets for reporting, strengthened performance reporting, the exploration of super user schemes, and the provision of likely repair timescales for reported faults.

Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

The committee reviewed its work programme for the coming year. Items scheduled for the 26 January 2026 meeting included Budget Scrutiny, the Public Transport Annual Report, the Winter Service Interim Report, and the FixMyStreet Annual Update. Future meetings will cover the Highways Infrastructure Asset Management Strategy, the Spalding–Pinchbeck Active Travel Improvements Tender Award, and quarterly performance reports for Highways and Transport services. A request was made to include an item on scrutinising the work and performance of the Pothole Pro machine.

North Hykeham Relief Road (NHRR) – Proceed to Construction

The committee considered a report recommending that the North Hykeham Relief Road (NHRR) proceed to construction. The report detailed the legal and funding position, with the Compulsory Purchase Order and Side Roads Order confirmed, and the Final Business Case submitted for Department for Transport (DfT) approval. Advanced works, including archaeological reviews and an oil pipeline diversion, were progressing. A design-and-build contract using the NEC4 Option C framework was proposed to optimise risk allocation and cost control. The committee welcomed the report and expressed support for the scheme, noting the positive reception of transport infrastructure improvements by residents. Concerns were raised and addressed regarding contractual arrangements, cost management, economic benefits, the £14 million cost increase, developer contributions, potential congestion from concurrent works, and the implications of project delays. The committee resolved to support the recommendations to the Executive to approve the North Hykeham Relief Road – Proceed to Construction report and to share its comments with the Executive.

2026/27 Strategic Route Surfacing Procurement

The committee considered a report on the 2026/27 Strategic Route Surfacing Procurement. The procurement was to be managed as a single programme to provide holistic oversight. Members queried the flexibility of the programme for cost changes or additional works and sought assurance that deferred schemes would remain a priority. Officers confirmed the programme's flexibility and that local members would be consulted on detailed designs and traffic management. Concerns were raised about previous failures in highway structures, with assurances given regarding the use of high-quality materials and the lifespan of current programmes. The prioritisation of sites, the depth of previous reconstructions, and the use of pre-qualified contractors and competitive tendering were also discussed. The committee resolved to support the recommendations to the Executive Councillor for Resources and the Executive Councillor for Highways and Transport.

Revision to the Definitive Map Modification Order Prioritisation Policy

A report was considered regarding a revision to the Definitive Map Modification Order Prioritisation Policy. Officers explained the statutory duty to determine DMMO applications and the significant backlog of 583 cases. The proposed weighted scoring system would replace date-received prioritisation with objective factors such as public safety, residential impact, and community conflict. The committee discussed the assessment of factors like public safety and sustained hostility, the weighting given to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), and concerns about older cases falling lower in priority. The importance of clear communication with applicants was stressed. The committee resolved to support the recommendations to the Executive Councillor for Highways and Transport.

Service Level Performance Reporting Against the Performance Framework 2025-26 as at Quarter 2 - Road Safety Service

A report on the Road Safety Service's performance was presented. Officers highlighted a significant drop in road fatalities and a slight decline in the rolling average for people killed or seriously injured. Members discussed the balance between human behaviour and road design, with the Senior Manager outlining the Safe System approach. Benchmarking, school engagement, and team capacity were also discussed. The committee resolved to endorse the report and record its satisfaction with the assurances provided.

Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

The committee reviewed its work programme for the coming year. Items scheduled for the next meeting included Budget Scrutiny, the Spalding–Pinchbeck Active Travel Improvements Tender Award, the Passenger/Public Transport Annual Report, the Winter Service Interim Report, and the FixMyStreet Annual Update. The committee also noted that Scrutiny Officer responsibilities would be assumed by Hannah Colclough from the next meeting. Concerns were raised about the short-notice additional meeting held on 15 December 2025. The committee resolved to endorse the existing work programme.

Lincoln, Yarborough Hill Bank Slip Project (Scheme)

Consideration was given to a report on the Lincoln, Yarborough Hill Bank Slip Project. The report detailed the failure of a retaining wall and insufficient drainage causing groundwater accumulation. The recommended approach was a reinforced earthworks design to remove the lay-by, realign the footway, and grade the slope. Members sought clarification on the legal implications of not proceeding and assurances on the technical approach and post-construction monitoring. The committee resolved to support the proposed recommendation to the Executive Councillor for Highways and Transport and the Executive Councillor for Resources to approve the project.

Highways Performance Report, Year 6 Quarter 2 (1 July to 30 September 2025)

A report provided Quarter 2 performance data for the Council's Highways Service. The Alliance scored 85.5, Client 89, Balfour Beatty 91.5, WSP 84.1, and Colas 73.5. Timeliness-related contract terms were noted as a historical challenge, but were recovering. The report highlighted government funding for local highway maintenance and inflationary pressures on contracts. The Pothole Pro machine's deployment and performance were discussed, along with the impact of drought on carriageways. The committee resolved to endorse the report and record its satisfaction with the assurances received.

Service Level Performance Reporting Against the Performance Framework 2025-26 as at Quarter 2 - Education Transport

A report on Quarter 2 performance for Education Transport was presented, highlighting national budget pressures and the council's efforts to optimise routes and manage costs. The implementation of the 'MTC' route-planning software, the 'Panacea' reverse-auction platform, and a live dashboard were discussed. Key performance indicators included applications approved, decision time, and single-occupancy contracts. Members praised the casework support and discussed how Panacea mitigates collusion. The impact of school choice and geography on journey times was explained. The committee resolved to endorse the report and record its satisfaction with the assurances received.

Transport Connect Limited (TCL) - Teckal Company Annual Update

An annual update on Transport Connect Limited (TCL), the council's wholly-owned company, was provided. TCL operates commercially, with at least 80% of its activity for Lincolnshire County Council. It addresses market failure in SEND transport and continues to deliver demand-responsive transport, maintain the gritter fleet, and support Adult Social Care transport. Officers reiterated TCL's strategic role in preventing monopolies and supporting best value. The report noted that 52 drivers and passenger assistants had been made redundant following the loss of certain SEND school contracts. The committee resolved to endorse the report and record its satisfaction with the assurances received.