Issue - meetings
Performance Scrutiny Highways Deep Dive Recommendations
Meeting: 26/02/2019 - Cabinet (Item 14)
14 Performance Scrutiny Highways Deep Dive Recommendations 
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Cabinet Member: Environment
Forward Plan Ref: 2018/202
Contact: Lauren Rushen, Policy Officer Tel: 07990 367851
Report by Deep Dive Lead Member (CA6).
The condition of roads has a significant impact on levels of public satisfaction with the Council and their local area. As a result, the Performance Scrutiny Committee commissioned a deep dive into the factors affecting public perception and experience of highways and the Council’s approach to improving this. From July to November a small group of councillors worked with officers to identify opportunities for improving the condition of the road network, tackling congestion, better managing the impact of street works and adapting our approach to maintenance contracts and partnership working on highways. This report has been considered by the Performance Scrutiny Committee and is now presented to Cabinet for them to consider and respond to its recommendations.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
(a)
Consider the findings of the Performance
Scrutiny Committee’s deep dive into highways.
(b)
Agree which of the following recommendations
the Cabinet will accept:
(1)
Ensure there is councillor input into the
review of the Highways Asset Management Plan, and that this includes
consideration of flexibility for local prioritisation.
(2)
Ask Cabinet to ensure there is a smarter
process for developing a programme of work to utilise the additional capital
investment in highways and that a robust capital governance process is in place
to help shape this and improve risk management.
(3)
Ensure officers consider the impact on
public perception when developing a programme of work and improve opportunities
for councillors to influence this based on local priorities.
(4)
Ask officers to work with SKANSKA to explore
a business case for greater levels of supervision that will ensure the quality
of work remains high, including a consideration of how in-house resources could
be utilised differently.
(5)
Ensure that opportunities to utilise staff
in flexible ways are explored further with SKANSKA, so that the maximum benefit
of having staff on site can be realised.
(6)
Encourage officers to explore more
innovative maintenance methods and tools.
(7)
Ask Cabinet to ensure an effective approach
to publicly publishing and communicating the highways programme of work is in
place.
(8)
Ask officers to develop a more robust
process for informing councillors of local road improvements in their division,
so that they can advise on works that need to be prioritised and support early
communication with residents.
(9)
Ask officers to ensure all responses to
highways enquiries / reports through Fix My Street include a named officer
contact.
(10)
Ensure direct points of contact are
communicated and established for key stakeholders (e.g. town and parish
councils) to ensure that local highway priorities can be followed up and dealt
with more efficiently.
(11)
Support the Council’s ambition to become a
Permitting Authority and request a report on the expected impact of this in
mid-2019.
(12) Support the development of a comprehensive out of hours traffic management provision to ensure effective management of the impact of major incidents and network failures ... view the full agenda text for item 14
Additional documents:
Decision:
The following
amended recommendation was agreed:
RESOLVED:
(a) To thank the Performance Scrutiny Committee
for their work on the deep dive into highways;
(b) To note the recommendations and to ask
officers to evaluate and cost the proposals and to report back in the Autumn to
the deep dive group and Performance Scrutiny Committee before reporting back to
Cabinet;
(c) That those activities already in train not
be halted or paused and that Performance Scrutiny Committee members and Cabinet
receive updates as appropriate.
Minutes:
The condition of roads has a significant impact on levels of
public satisfaction with the Council and their local area. As a result, the
Performance Scrutiny Committee commissioned a deep dive into the factors affecting
public perception and experience of highways and the Council’s approach to
improving this. From July to November a small group of councillors worked with
officers to identify opportunities for improving the condition of the road
network, tackling congestion, better managing the impact of street works and
adapting our approach to maintenance contracts and partnership working on
highways. The report had been considered by the Performance Scrutiny Committee
and was presented to Cabinet for them to consider its recommendations.
Councillor
Brighouse, Chairman of Performance Scrutiny Committee speaking in support of
the recommendations set out the reasons for the review and thanked the
councillors who had been part of the group. The Performance Scrutiny Committee
had considered and endorsed the recommendations.
Councillor Jenny
Hannaby, lead member on the Working Group thanked officers for their work and
particularly Katie Read, Senior Policy and Performance Officer for bringing it
all together. Councillor Hannaby introduced the contents of the report
highlighting the significant themes that had led to the recommendations.
Communication had been a key element of their considerations, both to
councillors, parishes and the wider public. Enforcement was another key area
impacting on the public’s perception of highways and their satisfaction with
the service. The group were in favour of the Council becoming a permitting
authority. The group had identified the real funding issues and supported the
work to press for funding whenever possible.
The positive impact of dragon patchers was
recognised but there was a need to find a way to use them in urban areas. In
commending the recommendations Councillor Hannaby urged Cabinet to act to
achieve the quick wins within the recommendations.
Councillor John
Sanders, Shadow Cabinet Member for Environment and member of the Group
commented that the Group had been careful that their recommendations would save
or generate money or at the least be cost neutral. He did not think that there
was a need for special costing in the longer term. In supporting the
recommendations, he drew attention to the proposal that the Council become a
permitting authority. Councillor Sanders also highlighted the importance of
community engagement.
Councillor Ian
Hudspeth, Leader of the Council, thanked Performance Scrutiny Committee for
bringing forward the recommendations for Cabinet to consider. Councillors would be aware that highways
issues were the biggest part of their mail box.
Councillor Yvonne
Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment, thanked the Performance Scrutiny
Committee for taking the time to undertake the review. Councillor Constance
thanked Councillor Hannaby for the summary of recommendations and for drawing
out the key themes, that were reiterated in several recommendations: member and
community engagement, better communication and responses, supervision and
flexibility of staff/contracts and enforcement. There was an opportunity to
celebrate the good work being done whilst looking at what further was needed.
Owen Jenkins, Director of Community Operations, ... view the full minutes text for item 14