The Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee of Lincolnshire Council met on Monday, 26 January 2026, to discuss a range of topics concerning the county's highways and transport services. Key areas of focus included the proposed budget for 2026/27, an annual report on public transport, an interim update on winter service operations, and an overview of the FixMyStreet platform. The committee also reviewed its work programme for the upcoming year.

Budget Proposals 2026/2027

The committee was scheduled to consider the budget proposals for the financial year 2026/27, with a specific focus on the implications for Highways and Transport services. The report from Pam Clipson, Head of Financial Services, was intended to enable the committee to provide comments on these proposals. The council's financial strategy for the medium term, covering up to 2028/29, was a starting point for these proposals. The provisional Local Government finance settlement for 2026/2027 had been published, with the final settlement expected in February 2026. The report indicated that the council projected a balanced budget across all years of the 2026/30 medium-term financial plan, with potential surpluses beyond 2026/27.

The revenue budget proposals detailed expected changes for Transport and Highways services. For Transport Services, an increase in costs was projected for Home to School Transport, attributed to rising fuel and vehicle prices, driver wages, and the county's rural nature. Pupil growth and increased demand for specialist SEND transport were also noted as contributing factors. Financial efficiencies through route optimisation and contract retendering were anticipated to secure savings. For Highways Maintenance Services, the revenue budget proposed an increase, primarily driven by inflationary pressures on commercial contracts and additional budget for drainage improvements. Income from Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders (TTROs) was expected to increase, reflecting consistent growth in utility and contractor activity. The capital programme was also to be reviewed, with significant funding announced for local highway maintenance between 2026 and 2030.

Public Transport Annual Report

An annual update on public transport services supported by Lincolnshire County Council was presented by Stuart Eccles, Manager – Network Design, and Mike Reed, Head of Transport Services. The report highlighted that Transport Focus had reported a 91% satisfaction rating for bus services in Lincolnshire in 2024, placing the county second nationally. The council's refreshed Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) aimed to enhance bus services, with a focus on ensuring town bus services ran to at least a 30-minute frequency and inter-urban corridors operated on an hourly basis.

The report detailed improvements to Into Town services in various locations, including Gainsborough, Grantham, Sleaford, Stamford, Skegness, and Lincoln's evening services, with patronage data provided for each. Inter-urban services, such as the Skegness-Mablethorpe route (IC59), Spalding-Peterborough (IC37), Louth-Mablethorpe (50A), and Lincoln-Grimsby (IC53), were also reviewed, with patronage figures indicating growth on several routes following enhancements. The report also outlined significant improvements to bus stop infrastructure, including the installation of new bus stops, refurbishment and replacement of bus shelters, and the deployment of real-time information (RTI) displays at bus stops and larger screens at key locations. Furthermore, the purchase of 10 new Mercedes Cityline vehicles for the Callconnect demand-responsive travel service was detailed, alongside performance data for Callconnect, showing high punctuality and increased app usage. The report concluded by summarising the financial spend against BSIP funding for various infrastructure and service support initiatives.

Winter Service – Interim Report

Jonathan Evans, Head of Highways Client, and Clair Dixon, Policy and Strategic Asset Manager, were scheduled to present an interim report on the current performance and delivery of the winter service. The report detailed Lincolnshire County Council's Winter Service Plan, which prioritises 3,018 km of the road network for precautionary salting. The plan includes a Severe Weather Route Network for extreme conditions and outlines the operational capacity of the fleet, salt stock management, and the use of treated salt.

The interim update provided figures on salt stock levels and usage up to 13 January 2026. It noted that the early part of the season was mild, with increased activity from mid-November and a significant period of cold weather and icy conditions from late December through to early January, requiring twice-daily salting on many days. The report also addressed an expected increase in requests for grit bin refills and the distribution of one-tonne salt bags to Parish Councils. A summary table provided key statistics on the road network, fleet, salt stock, gritting runs, and grit bin requests.

FixMyStreet Update

Jonathan Evans, Head of Highways Client, and Ellen Kelman, Highways Liaison Manager, were set to provide an update on the FixMyStreet platform. The report outlined the platform's role in managing public-facing fault reports for Lincolnshire County Council's Highways Service, noting that FixMyStreet Pro handled over 75% of highway enquiries. The report explained how the platform integrates with the council's highways asset management system, Confirm, to route reports and provide updates to customers.

The report detailed delivered and ongoing improvements, including clearer customer updates with timestamps, refined template responses, and improved routing and signposting functionality. Enhancements to map layers, such as the addition of a grass cutting schedule and improved asset selection for street lighting, were also highlighted. Planned improvements for the next 12 months included the introduction of a customer satisfaction survey, enhanced reporting processes with features like What3Words, the addition of drainage cleanse information, and the inclusion of tree assets. The report also discussed strengthening performance reporting through automated monthly reports and exploring the introduction of super users for regular, accurate reporters. A further planned development was the provision of likely repair timescales to customers.

Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

Kiara Chatziioannou, Scrutiny Officer, was scheduled to present a report enabling the committee to comment on its work programme for the coming year. The aim was to ensure that scrutiny activity was focused where it could be of greatest benefit. The report outlined scheduled items for upcoming meetings, including budget scrutiny, the Public Transport Annual Report, the Winter Service Plan Interim Report, and the FixMyStreet Annual Update for the 26 January 2026 meeting. Future meetings were also detailed, with items such as the Highways Infrastructure Asset Management Strategy, performance reports, and specific scheme reviews planned. The report also listed items for future programming, including a Highways Performance Report and the Nettleham Road Roundabout Scheme.