Issue - meetings

Report of the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste (HIW/21/28), attached.

RESOLVED

(a) that progress on 2020/21 capital funded highway maintenance schemes as detailed in Appendices II and III to the Report be noted;

(b) that the capital funded highway maintenance programmes for 2021/22 as set out in Appendices IV and V be approved;

(c) that the Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste 2021/22 capital programme be enhanced by £11.691 million (as explained in section 3 of the Report) funded by external grants;

(d) that the detailed allocation of the available budget be determined by the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highway Management, on the basis of the Highways Infrastructure Asset Management Plan, and within the limits of the approved budget;

(e) that the programme funded from the On-street Parking Account for 2021/22 as set out in Appendix VI also be approved; and

(f) that, in relation to pavement parking, it be noted that the Council had submitted evidence to the Transport Select Committee and in view of the delays encountered, Cabinet write to the Chair of the Government’s Transport Select Committee (Huw Merriman) to check on progress and ask what can be done to speed up the process for a resolution to the issues previously presented as evidence.

(Councillors Connett, Dewhirst, Hannaford and Whitton attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste (HIW/21/28), on County Road Highway Maintenance including the Capital Budget and Progress on 2020/21 Schemes and Proposals for the 2021/22 Programmes and the On-street Parking Account 2021/22. The Report had been circulated prior to the meeting in accordance with regulation 7(4) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

This Report covered both capital funding and the On-street Parking Account (OSP) reviewing for the capital aspect what had been delivered in 2020/21 and then the proposed programmes for 2021/22.

Restoration or replacement of highway components which were dilapidated due to traffic loading, weather impacts or aging of assets was funded through capital investment. Sound capital investment in the highway network would ensure assets were kept structurally sound over their design life enabling officers to better plan future budget expenditure and mitigate the impact of unforeseen high cost revenue funded repairs. When investment was made at the right time, long term maintenance costs would be reduced.

The Report also presented information on the progress of highway capital maintenance programmes and schemes delivered in 2020/21; and Section 7 detailed the proposals for capital funding of highway maintenance schemes in 2021/22.

Part of the 2021/22 funding awarded to Devon County Council (DCC) from central Government included in the Report, was approved by Full Council in February 2021.

The Report sought approval from Cabinet to allocate the capital funding across the programmes and schemes proposed in 2021/22 as listed in appendices IV and V. The allocations included an anticipated brought forward of Local Transport Plan (LTP) monies from 2020/21 of £1,272,000, subject to approval of the revenue and capital outturn report.

The Report also sought approval for the programme of work identified in

accordance with the provisions of Traffic Management Act 2004, to be funded from the On-street Parking Account as listed in appendix VI.

The Report provided additional detail on Learning including the Doing What Matters (DWM) work, financial considerations and sources of funding for 2021/22 for the capital programme, road condition and strategy which reported that the condition of Devon’s road network had broadly remained stable, road statistics and analysis and the commitments to maintaining the various classifications of roads, key elements of the capital highways maintenance programme (principal roads, skid resistant treatment, non principal roads, footways, drainage, road restraint systems, road weather stations, lighting column upgrades and LED replacement, traffic signals, bridges and structures, storm damage and cycleway / public rights of way network).

The Report also highlighted the results of the 2020 National Highways and Transport (NHT) Public Satisfaction Survey and the Environmental Impact Considerations (Including Climate Change) and that an impact assessment of the Council Budget 2021 to 2022 had been taken into account in preparing the Report.

The matter having been debated and the options and/or alternatives and other  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7