An independent review of Cornwall's highways service has recognised the strength of the partnership between Cornwall Council and Cormac, highlighting the contribution our teams make every day to keeping the network safe, resilient and well maintained. The review findings, together with feedback from this summer's engagement sessions with town and parish councils, were presented to the Sustainable Growth and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 29 September.
The Value for Money review was carried out by the Future Highways Research Group (FHRG), which brings together 37 local highway authorities from across the country. The assessment considered five key areas, including economy, efficiency, effectiveness and the value delivered for stakeholders.
The findings were extremely positive. Cornwall performed strongly for both economy and efficiency and was identified as one of the top-performing councils assessed. The review also highlighted the condition of the network and the quality of service delivery, alongside the way innovation, carbon reduction and social value are embedded across the service.
The review recognised a number of significant achievements, including meeting all current Key Performance Indicators, recycling 33,000 tonnes of construction materials during 2025/26 and reducing carbon emissions per pound spent by 45% since 2019.
Alongside the review, we shared the results of this summer's engagement sessions with Cornwall's town and parish councils.
The sessions brought together 123 attendees representing 73 town and parish councils, as well as seven Cornwall Councillors. They provided an opportunity to share more about our highways and environment services while gaining valuable feedback on what is working well and where there are opportunities to improve.
The response was overwhelmingly positive, with every respondent describing the sessions as helpful and 97% saying they left with a better understanding of our services. Attendees highlighted the professionalism of our people, the strength of local relationships, effective communication and our responsiveness to community needs.
The sessions also identified priorities for continued focus, including flooding and drainage, signs and road markings, verges and footways, and information about planned roadworks. This feedback will help shape the emerging Asset Management Strategy.
The report and discussion can be viewed via the webcast of the Sustainable Growth and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting here. The relevant section begins at around 2 hours and 15 minutes into the recording.
A huge thank you to everyone involved. While there is always more we can do, this review gives us an opportunity to pause and recognise what we're achieving together, ensuring every pound invested in Cornwall's highways service delivers the greatest possible benefit for our communities.
Email: contactus@corservltd.co.uk
