Barnsley Council ias close to getting approval for its Highways Capital Programme for 2021/22 which will see a total of £15.4m invested in its road network.

The proposed programme, to be presented to Cabinet at their meeting on Wednesday 21 April, details a preventative approach to maintain the borough’s highways, improving the resilience and structural integrity of roads.

It continues the ongoing ‘prevention is better than the cure’ approach of improvements to the existing highway network, and measures to improve road safety, resolve delay issues, improve air quality and to encourage active and sustainable trave, said the council.

Matt Gladstone, Executive Director for Place, said: “Our Highways Capital Programme will help make our roads safer and more sustainable in the longer term and focus on keeping Barnsley moving for residents and visitors.

“The highway network is a hugely important and valuable asset, so we need to ensure adequate investment to maintain it, not least to support our work to attract new business to the borough.”

The Capital Programme actively supports the council’s journey to achieve carbon net-zero by 2040 by implementing schemes that reduce the carbon footprint and utilise recycling of materials, such as road planings and earthworks materials, and more sustainable surfacing treatments, such as Retread and Surface Dressing. Also the council will be completing the final phase of converting all street lighting to energy efficient LED lanterns with an annual energy saving of 1,200 tonnes of carbon per year.