Edward Highfield, Service Director, Skills and Regeneration, provided an update on the Kirklees Major Transport Capital Schemes Annual Report for 2024. The Panel was advised that the aim is to bring an annual report through the democratic process. The annual report will look back in terms of what has been achieved and the progress and then looks forward for the next 12 months regarding what specific actions, delegations and decisions are needed to keep the transport programme moving. An approach like this is welcomed and is warranted given the scale of the programme.
This was undertaken last year; however, a lot of the focus last year was on the inflation review and particular effort on phasing the Cooper Bridge Programme which took up 90% of the attention last year. This year, the hope is that it will be business as usual. The appended report aims to set out what the key projects are, recognising that this is not the totality of the highways capital programme, this is just the transport infrastructure projects which are largely funded through the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. The report also sets out what those projects are and their current status. Some are delivered and completed and are being evaluated, some are currently on site and are being delivered, and some projects have planning permission and a contractor lined up and ready to go, and some are further out in time.
Some have been pipelined which means they are still a priority and there is an ambition to deliver them, however, at this moment in time there is no funding associated with the project. They are on the ‘shelf’ and while it is disappointing they are not being delivered, when funding does become available, the intention is to match pipeline projects to whatever funding opportunity comes along. There are a set of known projects either at concept or outline business case stage which will enable these projects to be matched to the requirements of funders which will stand the council in good stead for the future.
RESOLVED:
That Edward Highfield be thanked for providing an update on Kirklees Major Transport Capital Schemes, Annual Report 2024.