West Berkshire Council has established a Highways Improvements Group to give elected members and local communities a more formal role in discussions about road priorities.
The advisory panel will provide scrutiny, input and recommendations on highways improvement activity before matters progress through the council’s formal decision-making process. It will not have the power to approve schemes.
Panel to review annual highways programmes
The group’s remit includes responses to petitions, the annual Highways Improvement Programme, the annual Network Management Programme and the annual Winter Service Plan.
It will also consider relevant ad hoc network management requests, the Peer Review Action Plan and performance under highways term contracts.
West Berkshire Council said the arrangement would strengthen collaboration between councillors and highways officers, while giving the Executive Member for Highways and Environment a balanced, cross-party perspective.
Five elected members representing all political parties will sit on the group, supported by highways officers providing technical, professional and procedural advice. Named substitutes will also be appointed.
Residents can attend meetings
Members of the public will be able to attend meetings and submit questions. Questions must be received at least 10 days before a meeting, and the council says a written response will be provided within five working days afterwards.
The council said the arrangements were intended to give residents, communities and local representatives a clear and transparent route to raise highways issues and contribute to discussions about local priorities.
The group’s first meeting is scheduled for 6 October 2026 at 6.30pm at West Berkshire Council’s offices in Market Street. Meetings are then expected to take place every two months.
The panel does not represent a new road-building programme. Its role is to bring local knowledge and elected-member scrutiny into decisions about existing highways priorities before recommendations reach the council’s established decision-making process.