A Highways Maintenance Charter has been published in line with a commitment within Our Island Plan under the priority to create ‘An environment we can be proud of’.
This initial document is the first of its kind to be published by the Department of Infrastructure and is intended to act as a focus for discussion with Local Authorities before being finalised later this year.
Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall MHK said:
‘The highway network is the single biggest asset in our built environment. It is the foundation of where we live, work and play and its importance to the health and wellbeing of our Island cannot be under estimated. It is the bedrock of our economy and heart of our community.
‘Going forward, I hope that this Charter will help to explain how our maintenance services are accessed, why we make the decisions that we make and increasingly drive the improvements that we all want to see.’
The document delivers a comprehensive overview of the current maintenance regime, including essential context in relation to staffing restrictions. It also covers the important and wide-ranging role played by Local Authorities in terms of undertaking tasks such as street cleaning, drainage gully cleaning, weeding, hedge cutting and verge maintenance.
Details are included on the regularity of routine inspections and other particular tasks, along with the different types of road repair which are available to Highways Services staff and resources at hand in the event of severe weather.
The draft Highways Maintenance Charter can be found by visiting the government website.
