Highways improvement programmes get the green light
Wirral Council’s Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee last night approved programmes of investment in local roads, footways and bridges as well as on initiatives aimed at making local transport safer and more effective.
The programme of carriageway, footway and bridge maintenance works for 2026/27 is being backed by a combination of anticipated funding totalling nearly £7 million.
The works will be funded through grants from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, alongside Department for Transport incentive funding allocations.
Part of the funding must be used for improvements to the Liverpool City Region’s Key Route Network, which supports major strategic roads and access to regeneration sites.
Members were provided with details of the proposed 2026/27 programme for carriageway and footway improvements, which was designed based on expected funding levels, the condition of the road network, ward councillor feedback and a risk‑based prioritisation process.
Works will be scheduled between April 2026 and March 2027 to minimise disruption. Some roads not included in the programme may still receive preparatory works, such as pre‑patching ahead of 2027/28 resurfacing, or other maintenance activities carried out separately during the year.
In another part of the report, members were given a list of the carriageways and footways resurfaced in 2025/26 under the Director of Neighbourhood Services’ delegated authority, which allowed the programme to be adjusted where necessary. These decisions were made in line with available resources and a risk‑based assessment of which locations required intervention most urgently.
Having a fully funded and designed programme of works ensures Wirral meets its legal duties to maintain public highways under legislation including the Highways Act 1980 and the Traffic Management Act 2004.
In another report last night, members of the committee approved a transport and road safety improvement programme for 2026/27, backed by a £1.915 million funding allocation from the Liverpool City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS).
The funding will support a total investment programme of £3.2m, starting next month, focusing on delivering previously approved highway and safety schemes. New projects will be designed next year for implementation in 2027/28 under the new Transport for City Regions (TCR) fund, which replaces CRSTS and is the Government’s new funding initiative to provide consolidated, multi-year settlements for England’s nine major city regions for the period of 2027-2032.
The TCR aims to encourage City Regions to invest in integrated, sustainable transport networks, which will boost economic growth, housing and decarbonisation through the delivery of various projects.
The council continues to receive high numbers of requests for road‑safety improvements. These have been assessed using collision data, with the highest‑priority locations included in next year’s programme. Other sites will be reviewed again throughout 2026.
Where engineering work is not recommended, the council will continue borough‑wide initiatives such as school road safety education, free cycle training, young driver support, Bikesafe training and the Safer Roads Watch scheme.
The programme supports the region’s long‑term goals to reduce road‑traffic casualties to zero by 2040, promote walking and cycling, and cut carbon emissions.
