Essex CC and Brentwood BC have launched a new partnership to give residents a bigger say on local highways. The EssexWorks initiative is part of a growing partnership between the two councils, which already share chief executive, Joanna Killian. The £2m programme will include the appointment of a local highways liaison officer, highways rangers and a grant fund for community highway improvement schemes. Brentwood BC will also launch an extensive consultation next month to find out what improvements residents want to see to the local highways. The consultation will include an online survey at www.brentwood.gov.uk, and the findings will be submitted to a highways panel which will determine locally, which projects will go ahead. ‘What happens to Brentwood's highways affects the whole community and residents know their locality better than anyone else, so it stands to reason that they should take the lead in deciding priorities,' said Brentwood BC leader, Brandon Lewis.
