Agenda item

“This Council welcomes the additional investment from government (‘DfT’) in our highways, which amounts to:

1. £10,000,000.00 in the financial year 2018/19; and

2. a further £15,000,000.00 in 2019/20.

This Council notes that the additional monies from the Highways Maintenance and Integrated Transport Block monies make Oxfordshire one of the most heavily invested counties in the South of England with only significantly larger counties such as Hampshire and Kent receiving markedly more funding in recent years.

This Council further notes the success of its internal and prudential borrowing policy, which is already yielding welcome improvements to roads across Oxfordshire.

This Council resolves to:

1. review ways in which non-ringfenced DfT funds can be leveraged alongside s. 106 and Councillors’ Priority Fund (‘CPF’) monies with a view to improving roads and school crossings where there is demonstrable need;

2. consider extending the date for allocating any unspent CPF monies beyond January 2020 where members are in discussions with officers regarding complementary s. 106 monies that may be used to generate more comprehensive solutions and said officers are in need of more time; and

review traffic congestion management arrangements in our market towns with a view to working with both District partners and Thames Valley Police to explore opportunities for decriminalised parking and residents’ parking schemes in areas of acute need.”

With the consent of Council, Councillor Reeves moved and Councillor Clarke seconded an amendment to his motion as set out below in bold itailic/strikethrough:

“This Council welcomes the additional annual investment from government (‘DfT’) in our highways, through our maintenance block allocation, and any additional funding that we have been awarded through the pot hole fund and the challenge fund, which amounts to around £13,500,00 each year.

The Council has chosen to invest in highway maintenance from our additional £120,000,000 into infrastructure over ten years, plus investing £40,000,000 into street lighting.  This amounts to:

1. £10,000,000.00 in the financial year 2018/19; and

2. a further £15,000,000.00 in 2019/20.

This Council notes that the government allocated additional monies from the Highways Maintenance and Integrated Transport Block monies make Oxfordshire one of the most heavily invested counties in the South of England, with only significantly larger counties such as Hampshire and Kent receiving more funding in recent years.

This Council further notes the success of its internal and prudential borrowing policy, which is already yielding welcome improvements to roads across Oxfordshire.

This Council resolves to:

1.         review ways in which non-ringfenced DfT funds such as the Integrated Transport Block allocation of £3,700,000 can be leveraged alongside s.106. and Councillors’ Priority Fund (‘CPF’ monies with a view to improving roads and school crossings where there is demonstrable need;

2.         consider extending the date for allocating any unspent CPF Councillor’s Priority Fund monies beyond January 2020 where members are in discussions with officers regarding complementary s.106 monies that may be used to generate more comprehensive solutions and said officers are in need of more time; and

3.         review traffic congestion management arrangements in our market towns with a view to working with both District partners and Thames Valley Police to explore opportunities for decriminalised parking and residents’ parking schemes in areas of acute need.”

Following debate, the motion, as amended was put to the vote and was carried by 41 votes to 15, with 1 abstention.

RESOLVED: (by 41 votes to 15, with 1 abstebtion)

“This Council welcomes the annual investment from government (‘DfT’) in our highways, through our maintenance block allocation, and any additional funding that we have been awarded through the pot hole fund and the challenge fund, which amounts to around £13,500,00 each year.

The Council has chosen to invest in highway maintenance from our additional £120,000,000 into infrastructure over ten years, plus investing £40,000,000 into street lighting.  This amounts to:

3. £10,000,000.00 in the financial year 2018/19; and

4. a further £15,000,000.00 in 2019/20.

This Council notes that the government allocated Highways Maintenance and Integrated Transport Block monies make Oxfordshire one of the most heavily invested counties in the South of England, with only significantly larger counties such as Hampshire and Kent receiving more funding in recent years.

This Council further notes the success of its internal and prudential borrowing policy, which is already yielding welcome improvements to roads across Oxfordshire.

This Council resolves to:

4.         review ways in which non-ringfenced DfT funds such as the Integrated Transport Block allocation of £3,700,000 can be leveraged alongside s.106. and

5.         consider extending the date for allocating any unspent Councillor’s Priority Fund monies beyond January 2020 where members are in discussions with officers regarding complementary s.106 monies that may be used.

6.         review traffic congestion management arrangements in our market towns with a view to working with both District partners and Thames Valley Police to explore opportunities for decriminalised parking and residents’ parking schemes.