Lewisham Council faces significant budget cuts, including a reduction in highways maintenance, prompting concerns about potential impacts on road safety and flooding.
The council is proposing to reduce spending on highways maintenance as part of significant budget reduction proposals aimed at addressing a £65 million budget gap over four years. The Healthier Communities Select Committee discussed the 2027/28 Budget Reductions Report, which outlines these measures.
Key among the proposed savings is the cessation of the proactive gully cleansing programme. This means drains will only be addressed when reported as blocked or flooded. The council anticipates this will lead to more blocked gullies and localised flooding, potentially increasing the need for emergency call-outs and flood investigations, especially during periods of heavy rainfall. Investment in proactive and reactive carriageway and footway repairs will also be reduced.
These changes are part of a proposal that aims to generate a General Fund saving of £75,000 from gully cleansing and £200,000 from highways and footways maintenance in 2027/28, with an additional £100,000 from recharge, totalling £375,000. However, deferring proactive maintenance on roads and pavements could lead to faster deterioration of the network, an increase in safety defects, and a reduction in the overall condition of the highway network. This may result in higher future repair costs, increased insurance claims, and greater expenditure on emergency responses. While short-term reductions may not immediately increase claims, they do not remove the longer-term asset, safety, and financial risks.
Officers stated that the remaining budget would be prioritised using an asset management and risk-based approach. This involves targeting high-risk locations, safety-critical defects, known drainage hotspots, and areas where intervention is likely to deliver the greatest accessibility, safety, and asset-management benefits. The approach will consider factors such as asset condition, historical incidents, flood history, and accessibility consequences.
Councillor Nick Torry expressed concerns about the potential impacts of some of the proposed savings. Some were identified as having medium to high potential negative impacts, with a need for further detailed assessment and mitigation strategies.
The council faces a £65 million budget gap over four years. The report indicates that the current proposals do not meet the full budget gap, and officers will continue to work on identifying further savings totalling at least £30 million. These additional savings will be brought forward as part of setting the 2027/28 budget to minimise the risk of requiring reserves. The report does not specify a timeline for the entire £65 million gap to be addressed, but it outlines savings proposals for 2027/28 and 2028/29, with further work needed for subsequent years.
The committee noted the budget reduction proposals, with officers to continue identifying further savings. Councillor Rebecca Jones' motion to note the report was seconded and agreed.
Read the full report here: Public reports pack 03rd-Nov-2026 19.00 Healthier Communities Select Committee
See the draft minutes of the meeting here: DRAFT HCSC Minutes 3 Sept.pdf