The Environment, Economic Growth and Transport Scrutiny Committee of Lancashire County Council met on Thursday, 19 March 2026, to discuss local electric vehicle infrastructure, public rights of way processes, and the committee's work programme. Key decisions included approving recommendations to enhance the local electric vehicle infrastructure strategy and to review public rights of way processes for greater efficiency.

Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

The committee received a report detailing national policy on electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure and the county council's plans to support the transition to EVs, particularly for residents without off-street parking. The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund aims to increase the provision of public charging points, with Lancashire allocated over £10 million in capital funding. This fund, supplemented by private sector investment, will support the appointment of a chargepoint operator to deliver charging infrastructure across the county. The council will receive a revenue share from energy sales, which will be reinvested in further charging infrastructure.

Alongside the LEVI programme, the council is developing an in-house service for cross-pavement cable channels, also known as 'cable trays'. Following a successful trial, this service will allow residents to safely run charging cables across pavements from their homes to their parked vehicles. The council has received approximately £650,000 in government funding to subsidise the cost of these cable trays for residents.

During the discussion, concerns were raised about the practicalities of on-street charging in terraced housing areas, including potential parking disputes and the impact on the electricity grid. Officers explained that site selection would involve extensive community engagement and that the LEVI funding was specifically for residential areas, not commercial sites. The committee also discussed the potential for sharing cable trays between properties and the availability of government grants for home charging units.

Public Rights of Way Processes

The committee reviewed potential efficiency improvements for public rights of way processes, prompted by a previous complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. Several options were discussed, including:

• Signage: Replacing traditional fingerposts with simpler waymarks (coloured arrows on discs) to reduce costs and installation time, though concerns were raised about their visibility and potential for vandalism.
• Gates and stiles: Investigating grant funding to replace stiles with gates to improve accessibility, particularly for those with mobility issues.
• Obstructions and Deterrent Signs: Serving immediate notices on those responsible for obstructions or misleading deterrent signs, rather than initial polite requests, to speed up resolution and potentially recover costs.
• Enforcement Notices: Delegating the authority to issue enforcement notices to the Public Rights of Way Service, rather than Legal Services, to streamline the process.
• Definitive Map Modification Orders (DMMOs) and Public Path Orders (PPOs): Considering delegating decisions on DMMOs and PPOs to officers, with potential for a hybrid approach where certain cases could still be referred to the Regulatory Committee. This aims to reduce delays, which have caused hardship in some instances, particularly for property sales.

While there was general agreement on improving signage and the delegation of enforcement notices, some councillors expressed reservations about removing the scrutiny aspect for DMMOs and PPOs, advocating for further review of the overall process before any delegation. The committee ultimately recommended that the Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs, Environment and Communities review the DMMO process and that the council improve its communication regarding street lighting replacements.

Environment, Economic Growth and Transport Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2025/26

The committee reviewed its work programme for the upcoming year. An in-year request to review street lighting was considered and agreed to be added to the April schedule. This request stemmed from concerns about the removal of streetlights due to age and safety, leaving areas in darkness, with replacements delayed due to budget constraints. The committee noted that over 25,000 lighting columns were aged over 40 years old, and the current condition of the stock was considered poor.

Key lines of inquiry for the Gully Cleaning Policy report, due at the next meeting, were discussed. It was agreed that the adequacy of existing criteria for gully cleaning, particularly in relation to daily arising problems and flood risk management, would be a focus. The committee also requested that representatives from Highways and the Flood Risk Management Team attend the discussion.

The committee also noted the formal written responses from Cabinet Members regarding previous recommendations on Household Waste Recycling Centres and Get Lancashire Working. The deferral of the Streetworks Permits Lane Rental Scheme report to a later meeting was confirmed due to ongoing challenges with utility companies regarding traffic-sensitive streets.