Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to consider and comment on the priorities for the first and second years of the Highway Investment Programme, prior to the final decision being taken by the Executive Councillor.

Officer contact: Megan Black on 0161 218 1410 or email: megan.black@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) requesting the Scrutiny Committee to consider and comment on the priorities for the first and second years of the Highways Investment Programme, prior to the final decision being taken the Executive Councillor (Communities and Sustainability).

In February 2014 the Executive had approved a highways investment programme with the aim to improve the % of Category 3 modelled condition (widespread damage to the road surface) to 10% for carriageways and footways and thereby mitigating the revenue pressures on the reactive maintenance and insurance budgets. This would require additional investment in reactive maintenance and a total capital investment of approximately £100.6m over a nine year delivery period. It had subsequently been agreed that the investment be split into two phases of £49.8m and £50.8m.

The Executive Councillor (Communities and Sustainability) (Councillor Martin Candler) attended the meeting to respond to Members’ questions.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         In response to a Member’s view that that the investment appeared to be concentrated in a few Wards, it was clarified that the investment was over nine operational years. In order to ensure efficiency in project delivery it was important to ensure that the Council’s contractors worked in one area of the borough for set periods, reducing the costly and time consuming need for them to frequently relocate to different work sites across the network. Consequently the proposal was to maximise efficiency and work in areas of the borough for set periods. In 2014/15 and 2015/16 it was proposed to commence works in the areas with the highest percentage of category 4/5 highways.

·         A Member felt that Councillors should have been more involved in compiling the investment programme.

·         It was important that the quality of the work to be undertaken was of a high standard which was long lasting.

·         It was important that there was extensive liaison with the utility companies regarding the works.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.