Agenda item

GROWTH AND PROSPERITY SCRUTINY - REVIEW OF HIGHWAYS MAINTENANCE

Meeting of Cabinet, Tuesday 18 January 2011 2.00 pm (Item 93.)

Councillors James (Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board) and Councillor Nicholson (Chair of the Growth and Prosperity Overview and Scrutiny Panel and Task and Finish Group) have been invited to attend to present the scrutiny report and recommendations.

Cabinet Member: Councillor Wigens

CMT Lead Officer: Director for Development and Regeneration

Minutes:

Councillor James (Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board) and Councillor Nicholson (Chair of the Growth and Prosperity Overview and Scrutiny Panel and Task and Finish Group) presented the scrutiny report on the review of highways maintenance.

Councillor James indicated that the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board had given delegated authority to the Lead Officer, in consultation with the Chair, to approve the report for submission to Cabinet and asked that, whilst he appreciated the current economic and financial situation, the Cabinet give serious consideration to the recommendations.

Councillor Nicholson thanked Clive Perkin (Assistant Director for Transport), Tom White (Head of Network Management Unit) and the representatives from Amey, for their support during the scrutiny process. He drew the attention of Cabinet Members to –

(a)

the budget of £8m on highways maintenance, which included maintenance on street lighting and grass verges etc.;

(b)

the need to review processes. The task and finish group had made site visits to Peverell to look at the process for filling in potholes and Cabinet Members were asked to look at the operation of the contract;

(c)

the amount of money available for this work. There was an element of capital expenditure and Cabinet Members were asked to consider giving greater priority to maintenance, rather than new schemes;

(d)

the increase in claims from injury. It was noted that in 2008/9 and 2009/10, less money was spent on maintenance;

(e)

the possibility of an invest to save proposal for footway maintenance.

The Chair thanked Councillors James and Nicholson and the members of the task and finish group, for their hard work and recommendations.

The Director for Development and Regeneration submitted a written report on the recommendations of the Growth and Prosperity Overview and Scrutiny Panel, through a Task and Finish Group, indicating that further work was required before officers could make recommendations to Cabinet.

Councillor Wigens (Cabinet Member for Transport) also thanked Councillors James and Nicholson for the review, which had been well managed and enabled a number of departments to come together. He indicated that time was required in order to give full consideration to the proposals.

Agreed that –

(1)	the following recommendations of the overview and scrutiny panel are noted -
		(a)	that the Transport and Highways Partnership review service levels in relation to highways maintenance to improve value for money;
		(b)	that highways maintenance be assured of greater emphasis within the transport and highways capital programme alongside new works, but not at the expense of other areas of prioritised work;
		(c)	that an Invest to Save Bid be submitted by officers to successfully secure additional capital funding;
		(d)	that despite the current difficult economic climate and the budget position of the authority, that the council should consider giving a higher priority to highway maintenance needs over and above other priorities included in the Council’s Capital Programme;
		(e)	that the Council’s Insurance Reserve be reviewed to identify whether an element could be diverted to planned preventative term maintenance instead;
(2)	officers are requested to review and report back on each of the panel’s recommendations.

Supporting documents: