Agenda item

Report ES11126

Members considered a report highlighting the planned highway maintenance programme for 2012/13 and future years. The report also brought forward items from the Highway Assets Working Group in respect of footway level of service and treatment of crossovers.

In discussion a concern was highlighted for the quality of work carried out by a utility company in making good roads after maintenance work and the Member cautioned against such quality of work adversely impacting on completed carriageway work as part of the Planned Highway Maintenance Programme.

In commenting that some Priority 1 schemes had not come to his attention as a Ward Councillor and referring to a road not listed, a Member requested an opportunity to consult with the Highway Assets Manager for a change in some priorities. The Chairman also highlighted that Repton Road was not included in the listed roads.

Reference was also made to three roads each having speed humps where the road surface had become rutted and it was felt that a better quality of tarmac was necessary. The Chairman also referred to rutting having occurred elsewhere.

A Member suggested that better value for money could be achieved and more roads covered if necessary sections of longer roads were treated rather than the whole length of roads. Such partial treatment, he felt, should then leave funds available to treat other roads in poor condition.

It was agreed to support the recommendations subject to any additional comments from Ward Members concerning roads to be included for Planned Highway Maintenance.

RESOLVED that:

(1)  subject to any additional Ward Member comments on roads to be included for Planned Highway Maintenance, the Portfolio Holder be recommended to agree that -

(i)   the schemes listed at Appendix A of Report ES11126 form the basis of the Council’s programme of highway maintenance for 2012/13 and, subject to budgetary provision, that the works be progressed;

(ii)  the additional schemes listed at Appendix F are included in the highway maintenance programme for 2011/12;

(iii) the outline programmes for future years, as listed in Appendices B and C be noted;

(iv)  the proposed TfL funded programme of works at Appendix D be noted;

(2)  the Portfolio Holder be recommended to endorse recommendations of the Highway Assets Working Group that –

(i)   an amended footway level of service and an amended funding bias be adopted to help reduce the backlog of planned maintenance on the Council’s unclassified road network;

(ii)  an option for residents be provided to upgrade crossovers to a blockwork finish at their expense in connection with the planned maintenance of crossovers and that all requests for new crossovers be built in blockwork.