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Agenda item

Report of the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste (HIW/22/18) seeking approval of the Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Policy and Strategy, attached.

 

The Cabinet is also asked to note that a Standing Overview Group of the Corporate, Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Scrutiny was held on the 3March 2022 to consider the draft Policy and Strategy. The Overview Group recommendations were considered by the full Corporate, Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Scrutiny Committee on 24 March 2022. 

 

The Scrutiny Committee resolved “that the report be accepted as an accurate record of the meeting held and that the recommendations contained therein be endorsed and commended to Cabinet, namely:

 

(a)       repair and maintenance of our road networks be underpinned by a positive and proactive approach and efforts to be made to implement this mindset into the working practices of DCC staff and contractors;

(b)       the Community Road Warden Scheme and the Snow Warden Scheme be continued and expanded;

(c)        annual work programmes be produced to cover integrated schemes and additional detail is included where these include drainage repair;

(d)       graffiti be explicitly recognised in the Plan as a notable problem and innovative solutions to graffiti removal be investigated; and

(e)       further exploration of local council involvement in highway maintenance is undertaken, to include closer relationships between local councils and the County Council.”

 

Cabinet is asked to note that the draft documents have been updated to incorporate these recommendations and these will be further developed in the review of the Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan and annexes, as paragraph 5.2 of the Report refers.

 

An Impact Assessment is also attached for the attention of Members at this meeting. Also available on the website - Published Impact Assessments - Impact Assessment (devon.gov.uk)

Decision:

RESOLVED

 

(a) that the revised Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Policy and Strategy be adopted;

 

(b) that delegated authority be given to the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways Management, to make minor amendments to the documents and continue the development of the Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan; and

 

(c) that Devon MP's be briefed outlining the pressures our highway service is under in maintaining the highway network.

Minutes:

(Councillors Connett, Dewhirst, Gent and Hannaford 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/22/18) which sought approval of the Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Policy and Strategy, 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 Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan (HIAMP) was a suite of documents that laid out the Authority’s policy, strategy and plan for the management and maintenance of all highway assets, the previous plan having been approved by Cabinet in 2016. 

 

The documents had been refreshed to reflect the changes in Government guidance and to align to the recently published Strategic Plan ‘Best Place’.

 

In 2013 guidance for Highway Infrastructure Asset Management was published by Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP) in association with the UK Roads Liaison Group and with the sponsorship of the Department for Transport (DfT). This document promoted a joined-up approach to determining how all highway infrastructure assets such as roads, bridges, streetlights etc. were managed and laid out the case for Highway Authorities to produce a HIAMP.  The guidance recommends the following approach.

 

·         Highway infrastructure asset management policy – a concise document describing what the Council's approach is and how it linked with the Council's overarching objectives.

 

·         Highway infrastructure asset management strategy - the Organisation’s overall approach to delivering highway asset management.

 

·         Highway infrastructure asset management plan and annexes - detail and depth describing how the Council used asset management tools to develop effective processes to plan, operate, monitor and review the highway network assets.

 

The Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Policy and Strategy were provided in Annexes 1 and 2 respectively and following their adoption the Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan would be drafted to record and communicate the detailed approach to the management of assets and this would be brought to Cabinet later this year.

 

The Report also highlighted the results of the 2021 National Highways and Transport (NHT) Public Satisfaction Survey. The summary undertaken in June 2021 gave overall a comforting position and showed no significant change to the previous year’s survey, however it highlighted areas in highway condition where the public were showing a satisfaction level slightly under the national average. The complete survey could be seen at 2021 Survey Public Reports (nhtnetwork.co.uk)

 

The Cabinet also noted that a Standing Overview Group of the Corporate, Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Scrutiny was held on the 3March 2022 to consider the draft Policy and Strategy. The Overview Group recommendations were considered by the full Corporate, Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Scrutiny Committee on 24 March 2022. 

 

The Scrutiny Committee had resolved “that the report be accepted as an accurate record of the meeting held and that the recommendations contained therein be endorsed and commended to Cabinet, namely:

 

(a)       repair and maintenance of our road networks be underpinned by a positive and proactive approach and efforts to be made to implement this mindset into the working practices of DCC staff and contractors;

(b)       the Community Road Warden Scheme and the Snow Warden Scheme be continued and expanded;

(c)        annual work programmes be produced to cover integrated schemes and additional detail is included where these include drainage repair;

(d)       graffiti be explicitly recognised in the Plan as a notable problem and innovative solutions to graffiti removal be investigated; and

(e)       further exploration of local council involvement in highway maintenance is undertaken, to include closer relationships between local councils and the County Council.”

 

Cabinet noted that the draft documents had been updated to incorporate these recommendations and would be further developed in the review of the Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan and annexes, as paragraph 5.2 of the Report detailed.

 

An Impact Assessment was also attached for the attention of Members at this meeting - Published Impact Assessments - Impact Assessment (devon.gov.uk). This highlighted that the Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Policy and Strategy addressed the travelling needs of all road users of the Devon highway network, both from a local and visiting user’s perspective, whichever mode of transport was used. Each scheme, programme and operation would necessitate specific considerations in relation to equality and its impact on the road user and this would be specifically addressed in line with the objectives and framework set out in the documents.

 

The Highways Infrastructure Asset Management documents had been revised to reflect the latest industry guidance and national code of practice.  Cabinet noted that adopting the revised plans would help enable the Council to maximise its grant funding allocations from Government for highways maintenance and ensure the Council was managing its highway asset in an effective and efficient manner.

 

The matter having been debated and the options and/or alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. financial, sustainability (including carbon impact), risk management, equality and legal considerations and Public Health impact) set out in the Chief Officer’s Report and/or referred to above having been considered:

 

it was MOVED by Councillor Hughes, SECONDED by Councillor Hart, and

 

RESOLVED

 

(a) that the revised Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Policy and Strategy be adopted;

 

(b) that delegated authority be given to the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways Management, to make minor amendments to the documents and continue the development of the Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan; and

 

(c) that Devon MP's be briefed outlining the pressures our highway service is under in maintaining the highway network.

 

(NB: The Impact Assessment referred to above may be viewed alongside Minutes of this meeting and may also be available on the Impact Assessment Webpages).

Supporting documents:


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