Decision details

FUTURE DELIVERY OF HIGHWAYS' SERVICES

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Decisions:

Councillor Evans (Council Leader) drew the attention of Cabinet Members to the separate private report on options for the future delivery of Highways Maintenance Services, which contained commercially sensitive information and was referred to in minute 108 below.   

 

Anthony Payne (Strategic Director for Place) submitted a report on the options available to the Council for the delivery of Highways Maintenance Services, in both the long term and short and medium term. 

 

The report –

 

(a)

assessed the options and identified the relative advantages, disadvantages and risks of each;

(b)

indicated that elements of different models could be combined to customise a hybrid solution which may more closely align with the Council’s highway objectives;

(c)

advised that in the short to medium term, the options were largely dictated by the expiry of the current contractual arrangements with Amey on 30 November 2015;

(d)

concluded that mutual agreement was required with Amey if an extension to the existing contract was the preferred option.

             

Councillor Coker (Cabinet Member for Transport) introduced the proposals and indicated that -    

 

(e)

the current, seven year contract with Amey had commenced in 2008, with the option to extend it on an annual basis for a total of three years;

(f)

highway maintenance services had improved with the significant investment in recent years, the programme of pothole repairs and new, innovative working practices;

(g)

the authority had joined the South West Highways Alliance, which comprised all of the councils in the south west, so that authorities could work collaboratively in order to make savings and review new initiatives.

 

Councillor Coker proposed an amendment to recommendation (2) in the report to delegate authority to the Cabinet Members for Finance and Transport, to agree revised terms and conditions prior to the extension of the contract until 31 March 2017.

 

Adrian Trim (Head of Highways, Parking and Marine Services) attended the meeting for this item and indicated that he had reviewed the service provision in other local authorities.

 

Councillor Evans supported the amendment and –

 

(h)

indicated that the existing contract had not addressed the long history of the deteriorating road network and had not afforded Council tax payers any protection in relation to additional works that were required;

(i)

stressed that Cabinet Members and officers needed to ensure that an improvement in service provision was achieved, however he also acknowledged that a lot of work had been done but that further improvements were also necessary;    

(j)

advised that Cabinet Members would be monitoring the situation.

 

Alternative options considered and the reasons for the decision –

 

As set out in the report.

 

Agreed -

 

(1)

that the long term solutions for Highways Maintenance Services for the City of Plymouth are worked up for a final decision on preference of the proposed model by November 2015, drawing upon the best parts of other models, as outlined in paragraph 1.4, of the report;

(2)

to delegate authority to the Cabinet Member for Finance, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport, to agree revised terms and conditions and to then extend the contract until 31 March 2017;

(3) 

that the Revised Highway Inspection Policy is adopted;

(4)

the long standing issues with Amey as set out in the private report.

 

 

Publication date: 12/12/2014

Date of decision: 09/12/2014

Decided at meeting: 09/12/2014 - Cabinet

Effective from: 20/12/2014

Accompanying Documents: