Kirklees Council Cabinet has approved the council’s Highways Capital Plan for 2023/24 and 2024/25 totalling £24,408,044 and £19,736,576 respectively.
The 23/24 funding, made up from around £15million of grant monies (including City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) and Challenge Fund Grant). Around £9million from the Council’s own borrowing, will go towards a number of programmes of work.
Following on from the completion of the LED street light replacement programme. The street lighting team will commence a replacement programme of concrete lighting columns. Over 13000 across the district, helping to bring whole streets in line with current standards.
The locality based unclassified programme (LBUR) will see further investment of £12million over a four-year programme. This will build on the works already carried out as part of phase one.
Flood management will also continue with the installation of new and improved drainage assets. Designed to mitigate flood risk to infrastructure and property.
Funding attributed to public rights of way (PROW) will support several overarching projects schemes. These include installation and improved signage, boardwalks to open impassable boggy routes, installation and replacement of footbridges and specialist equipment to clear routes currently impassable by heavy vegetation. All improvements will open various links across the PROW network enabling access to a greater number of routes.
Urban Traffic Control will use their funding to introduce new traffic light technology which would look to prioritise junction and crossing sites for replacement. This will help reduce delays and prioritise public transport, pedestrians, or cyclists at individual junctions and along key corridors.
The Safer Roads package aims to improve road safety through development and integration of Vision Zero. Encourage a shift towards more active modes of transport. This will be carried out through several actions including analysis of collision hot spots, improvements in route infrastructure, pedestrian crossings, and safety on school routes, as well as further speed management initiatives.
Works within this programme also cover the inspection, assessment, maintenance and strengthening of all Highways Authority bridges, culverts, footbridges and retaining walls within Kirklees.
Councillor Naheed Mather, Cabinet Member for Environment said: “I’m pleased the report has been approved. This will enable the Highways Team to continue the good work with existing projects such as Local Based Unclassified Roads scheme and start works on other key projects which will make notified improvements across the highways network in Kirklees.”
