Issue - meetings

Report ES14093

Members considered programmes of planned road and footway maintenance for completion by close 2015/16. Schemes were also presented for subsequent years as was information on the Council’s annual bid to Transport for London (TfL) for bridge assessment and strengthening.

Planned maintenance minimises the level of reactive maintenance necessary, so increasing value for money and customer satisfaction. It also reduces unplanned network disruption and contributes to fewer damage claims.

The overall programme was prioritised by expected budget and based on highway condition and other factors such as use, location, adjacent services, frequency of reactive maintenance, level of public enquiries and consultation responses.

Additional Local Implementation Plan (LIP) funding was also available during 2014/15 for resurfacing busy bus routes (£120k) and resurfacing other roads where accidents had been attributed to skidding (mass action £135k).

A one-off sum of £504,982 had also been received from the Department for Transport (DfT) to permanently repair potholes. It was necessary to spend the sum by 31^st March 2016 and approval was sought to its release from central contingency.

Approval was also sought to submit a £987k bid to the London Bridges Engineering Group (LoBEG) for structural projects, TfL advising later in the year on actual allocation.

Although Members supported the recommendations, the Chairman highlighted a Ward Councillor’s disappointment that Pope Road, Bromley had not been included within the proposed programme. It had also been suggested that Cross Road, in the same Bromley Common and Keston Ward, might not be a high priority for maintenance. The Chairman also asked that sections of Sevenoaks Road be considered for maintenance and noted that  Rye Crescent, Orpington was listed at Appendix C but as a bus route should be considered for “mass action” resurfacing. He therefore suggested that the maintenance programme needed to compare the priority road lists with bus routes to ensure the correct funding source.

RESOLVED that:

(1) the Executive be recommended to agree the release of £505k Department for Transport (DfT) funding from Central Contingency for planned highway maintenance; and

(2) the Environment Portfolio Holder be recommended to -

(a)  agree that the schemes listed at Appendix A to Report ES14093 form the basis of the Council’s programme of planned highway maintenance on borough roads for 2015/16 and, subject to budgetary provision, the works be progressed;

(b)  note the schemes of work for future years as listed at Appendices B and C to Report ES14093;

(c)  agree that the additional DfT funding of £505k be allocated to planned highway maintenance, with authority delegated to the Director of Environment and Community Services, in consultation with the Environment Portfolio Holder, to select schemes from Appendix B for completion during 2015/16;

(d)  agree the proposed TfL funded programme of highway maintenance works for 2014/15 and 2015/16, as set out at Appendices D and E to Report ES14093; and

(e)  approve the bid for bridge strengthening and assessment, 2015/16, at Appendix F to Report ES14093, and its submission to Transport for London.