A MORE co-ordinated approach to roadworks will benefit Brighton and Hove by nearly £8 million a year, a report has claimed.

The benefits of better management of road closures and diversions through the city will be £190 million over the next quarter of a century, according to a council report.

Savings will come from reducing travel and waiting times for residents, businesses and buses, a reduction in greenhouse gases and by lowering the number of accidents.

The Brighton and Hove City Council report supports a new strategy designed to improve the co-ordination of roadworks in the city in a bid to reduce disruption and frustration for road users.

The network management strategy aims to ensure roadworks and infrastructure improvements are more closely planned and co-ordinated to avoid other work taking place at the same time or in the same area.

The city council said the strategy was important now with investment and house building set to increase over the next five years, increasing traffic and population numbers and shrinking council budgets.

The authority also cited a number of major of projects already underway in the city centre or in the pipeline including the refurbishment of the Royal Sussex County Hospital and the transformation of Circus Street into a new learning, culture and residential square.

The strategy will also help in drawing up contingency plans for emergencies out of the council’s control such as unforeseen weather conditions and security alerts.

Scheduling of roadworks undertaken by utility companies will also be included under the proposal along with road improvements and maintenance work carried out by the city council and dates and locations of special events in the city to help ease of movement around the city.

The council estimates that the costs in officer time, consultancy support and community engagement in developing the strategy will be funded from existing revenue budgets within the transport service and by income generated from the road works permit scheme.

Members of Brighton and Hove City Council’s environment, transport and sustainability committee will be recommended to give the go ahead to developing the citywide Traffic Network Management Strategy at a meeting next Tuesday.

Councillor Gill Mitchell, chairwoman of the committee, said: “There is a lot of investment going on in the city and a number of big developments coming up, which is great for Brighton and Hove.

“We want to ensure we plan ahead and co-ordinate all the various things that affect the city's roads - major projects, transport projects and roadworks - to minimise disruption and congestion and benefit everyone travelling around the city.”

“There will inevitably always be some occasions when emergency roadworks have to be carried out, if there is a gas leak for example, but these can be dealt with alongside planned work”.