Agenda and minutes

Councillors and officers to declare any interest which they may have in any of the items on the agenda for this meeting (including whipping declarations).

No declarations of interest were made.

(a)  Reference EMDTR372 – Transportation Capital Programme 2012-2013                             (Executive Decision Record and report enclosed)

To consider the call-in of executive decision EMDTR372

(b) To consider any further call-in items

(a)  Reference EMDTR372: Transportation Capital Programme 2012-2013

The Scrutiny Committee was informed that on 17 April 2012 the Executive Councillor (Transportation) had approved the Transportation Capital Programme for 2012/13. In addition, the Scrutiny Committee was advised that:-

•           The Department for Transport had provided a four year allocation for the Local Transport Plan to the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) and the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority. The allocations from that funding had been split between the ten local authorities and Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive over that four year period.

•           The Department for Transport had provided draft allocations for each authority for maintenance and AGMA had agreed to use these allocations to pass the funding to the local authorities. Stockport’s allocations in 2012 / 3 were £3.159m

•           The overall programme for 2012/13 was approved in 2011/12.

.•          The Integrated Transport Element of the Local Transport Plan funding was being used to support the Greater Manchester Transport Fund schemes and there would be no funding for local schemes until 2014 / 15.

•           Transportation funding also came from a variety of other sources including bids for specific funds, e.g. Connect 2, Better Bus Fund, the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, developer funding as part of Section 106 and Section 278 agreements and allocation of the Council’s own funds, e.g. Drainage Improvements ,Street Lighting and the Invest to Save Footways programme.

The decision of the Executive Councillor (Transportation) had been ‘called in’ by Councillors David White, Andrew Verdeille and Philip Harding.

Councillor Philip Harding explained his reasons for ‘calling-in’ the decision, namely that this was the only opportunity to explore the details of the capital programme, its impact on the roads in the borough and the proportion of the monies spent in the town centre and the district centres. In addition, he highlighted that the Integrated Transport Element of the Local Transport Plan funding was being used to support the Greater Manchester Fund schemes and that there would be no funding for local schemes until 2014/15.

The Executive Councillor (Economic Development & Regeneration) (Councillor Iain Roberts) and Officers from the Place Directorate responded to the issues raised. Councillor Roberts advised that the Transportation Capital Programme next year would be submitted to this Scrutiny Committee first before the executive decision was made.

The following issues were raised/comments made:-

•           A request for more information on the Integrated Transport Element of the Local Transport Plan funding.

•           The use of slurry sealing on the borough’s footways as a form of preventative maintenance. The Committee asked to be provided with more detail with regard to the prioritisation of maintenance schemes and the use of preventative treatments.

•           The criteria and response time with regard to the repair of potholes.

•           It was felt that there should be some flexibility with regard to schemes in front of large shop frontages in the district centres.

•           The £79K Rights of Way contribution to the Connect 2 scheme and a request for a report to this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.