Issue - meetings

Report of the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste (HIW/22/19) on the County Road Highway Maintenance

Capital Budget and Progress on 2021/22 Schemes and Proposals for the 2022/23 Programmes and the On-street Parking Account 2022/23, attached.

The Impact Assessment for this item is the budget Budget 2022/2023 - Impact Assessment (devon.gov.uk) that has previously been circulated to Members.

RESOLVED

(a) that progress on 2021/22 capital funded highway maintenance schemes detailed in Appendices 2 and 3 to the Report be noted;

(b) that the capital funded highway maintenance programmes for 2022/23 as set out in Appendices 4 and 5 be approved;

(c) that the Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste 2022/23 capital programme be enhanced by £11.691million (as explained in section 3 of this 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; and

(e) that the programme funded from the On-street Parking Account for 2022/23, as set out in Appendix 6, be approved.

(Councillors Connett, Dewhirst, Gent, 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/22/19) on the County Road Highway Maintenance Capital Budget and Progress on 2021/22 Schemes and Proposals for the 2022/23 Programmes and the On-street Parking Account 2022/23 which 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.

The Cabinet noted that the 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 its design life enabling officers to better plan future budget expenditure and mitigate the impact of unforeseen high-cost revenue funded reactive repairs. When investment was made at the right time, long term maintenance costs would be reduced.

Progress on the 2021/22 Highway Structural Maintenance Programme was shown in Appendix 2 of the Report and the 2021/22 Bridges Assessment and Strengthening Programme could be found in Appendix 3.

Section 7 detailed the proposals for capital funding of highway maintenance schemes in 2022/23.

The 2022/23 funding awarded to Devon County Council (DCC) from central government included in the Report, was approved by Full Council in February 2022. The Report sought approval to allocate the capital funding across the programmes and schemes proposed in 2022/23 as listed in appendices 4 and 5.

The allocations included an anticipated overprogramming brought forward of Local Transport Plan (LTP) monies from 2021/22 of £250,000, subject to approval of the revenue and capital outturn report, to be submitted to Cabinet in July.

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 6.

Members noted that the relevant Impact Assessment for the County Road Highway Maintenance report was the 22/23 budget Budget 2022/2023 - Impact Assessment (devon.gov.uk) that had previously been circulated to Members.

As part of the Council’s drive to become carbon neutral by 2030, it was continuing to investigate, consider, and embed new ways of working that helped reduce the carbon output when designing and commissioning highway maintenance operations. The Cabinet Member for Highways Management commented that the Council was taking opportunities to recycle highway materials and include carbon reduction plans in new construction contracts. Once the Street Lighting programme LED upgrade was complete, the Council would have reduced the carbon emissions generated by its streetlighting by 75%.

He further commented that the Service was performing well and could evidence this to Government and consequently was receiving additional funding through the Incentive Fund as a Band 3 authority for the 6th consecutive year.

The matter having been debated and the options and/or alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. financial, sustainability (including carbon  ...  view the full minutes text for item 144