Decision details

The Transport Secretary’s “Plan for Drivers” included an extra £70m of funding for Traffic Signal Maintenance.

£30 million was allocated for The Traffic Signals Obsolescence Grant (TSOG), to be funded from the DfT’s wider Highways Maintenance Block and divided between:

1. £10 million shared between all English local highway and transport authorities outside of London, and
2. £20 million of targeted funding which will be awarded to areas with particular obsolescence issues through challenge processes.

Sandwell should therefore receive a share of the £10m automatically awarded element of TSOG via revised Section 31 Grant Determination Letters in March 2024 even if no application is made for the additional challenge funding. Bids for the £20 million targeted funding needed to be submitted online by 22 December 2023.

In 2021 a similar Traffic Signals Maintenance opportunity was made available. Sandwell Council where one of thirty-nine authorities awarded either £250,000 or £500,000 to upgrade traffic signals.

As in 2021, this application process is being overseen by the Transport Technology Forum and managed by the Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG).

Leadership Team granted approval for a bid to be submitted on 12th December subject to retrospective reporting.

On 22nd March 2024 Sand received confirmation that £500,000 would be paid from Traffic Signal Obsolesce Grant and Green Light Fund.

This report authorises acceptance of the funding.

(1) That approval be given for Sandwell Council to accept the £500,000 funding awarded following successful bid for funding from the Traffic Signal Obsolescence Grant and Green Light Fund, noting the associated conditions.

The use of Halogen type lamps in traffic signal heads continues to be a vital component of Sandwell’s Traffic Signal assets.

Changing regulatory requirements combined with the accelerated transition towards LED technology means there are increasing supply side risks to the continued availability of these lamps.

Sandwell have a total of 260 traffic signals, 57 of these sites still use halogen lamps. Replacement of the remaining halogen traffic signal heads with LED will eliminate risks associated with a lack of supply-side availability as well as support:

1. Climate Change Action Plan objectives to reduce energy consumption through accelerated modernisation of traffic signals.

We have estimated that the benefits associated with removal of these remaining halogen lamps to LED would include 90,000KWhr of energy savings annually and an associated reduction on c17 tonnes of CO2.

2. Enhanced efficiency and reliability of our network by replacing unreliable and obsolete equipment, in particular obsolete controllers. Thereby reducing congestion, improving carbon/energy efficiency, and lowering maintenance and operational costs

Sandwell also have several obsolete controllers, including 60 Microsense Sentinel traffic signal controllers and 14 Plessey controllers, which remain in daily use. While these assets have served us well over the years, their obsolescence now also presents significant issues that impede both improved efficiency and advancement of our traffic signal infrastructure.

In December 2023, Leadership Team granted approval for Sandwell MBC to submit an online bid for additional targeted funding for Traffic Signal Maintenance, following the Transport Secretary’s announcement within the “Plan for Drivers”.

The value of the bid was £448,630 based on replacement of halogen signal heads and associated controllers, initially focussed on the Key Route Network (KRN).

On 22 March 2024 Sandwell received confirmation that £500,000 would be paid to Sandwell on 26th March 2024.

This funding has been issued under the same grant conditions as with the main capital block funding. Annex B within the attached award letter provides further detail in respect of the Grant Conditions.

Approval is sought to accept £500,000 funding award and associated conditions.

Continue with the risks associated with operating obsolete halogen signal heads and associated controllers, managed through mitigation measures such as holding increased stock of replacement components. This is not a recommended option as it will not deliver long-term resilience or support delivery of wider corporate objectives.

Seek additional Council funding for the maintenance of traffic signal assets. This is not a recommended option given the potential availability of DfT funding.