Agenda item

Investing in highways is a key priority for Wiltshire Council.  On 22 October  2013 Cabinet considered a programme of investment in road maintenance to improve the condition of the highways network in Wiltshire and agreed to increase investment to £21 million annually for six years from 2014/15, with Area Boards helping to identify local priorities for treatment. The Environment Select Committee welcomed the decision to include Area Boards in identifying areas of work required within their Community Areas and now receives a report on the ongoing road resurfacing programme and involvement of Area Boards in the process.

The report also includes the draft Highways Asset Management Policy and Strategy for contributions by the Committee prior to consideration by Cabinet on 19 may 2015. The draft Highways and Asset Management Policy and Strategy has been prepared following new asset management guidance from the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme and a recommendation from the Department for Transport that authorities adopt an asset management approach.

The Council has applied the principles of asset management to the maintenance of the highway network for many years. This involves taking into account the lifecycle of the assets and monitoring performance of the intervention and investment strategies, with the objective of minimising expenditure while providing the required performance. However there is now a need to formalise this approach and adopt a policy and strategy in accordance with the latest code of practice on asset management.

The Committee is requested to comment upon the draft Highways Asset Management Policy and Strategy and consider the recommendations in the report.

Parvis Khansari, Associate Director for Highways and Transport, introduced the report which included an update on the involvement of Area Boards in the road resurfacing programme and the draft Highways Asset Management Policy and Strategy for contributions by the Committee. The Chairman highlighted the recommendations in the report and invited the Committee to discuss.

During the debate, it was suggested that Area Boards should receive the costings for proposed road resurfacing. Officers confirmed that, since there were different road conditions in each area, no specific budget was set for each community area. Area Boards were currently asked to prioritise road resurfacing in their area, subsequently funding was allocated from the £21m per year central budget. Members commented that the Committee should monitor prioritising to assess whether low-priority routes did eventually get resurfaced. It was commented that there was sometimes confusion over the level of damage that warranted road resurfacing and the Cabinet member agreed to produce a guide for Councillors to assist them. Councillors were encouraged to liaise with officers in advance of priorities being received by Area Boards if they felt particular routes should be included.

It was confirmed that skid resistant treatment was difficult to maintain on road bends and these locations were a priority. However, the long-term solution was to invest in high-quality road surfaces. It was confirmed that the current Salisbury UTC/SCOOT system needed a new communication system and this was being researched. It was highlighted that some small CATG projects had been delayed, the Cabinet member confirmed that Councillors should contact him if they were experiencing undue delays. During discussion on the maintenance of lighting columns, Peter Binley, Head of Highways Asset Management and Commissioning confirmed that trials of light switch-offs had worked well and this would be rolled-out across the county to save energy. New lighting columns were to be phased in, they would be computer controlled and automatically report when they were not working.

Members suggested that, on rural roads the, state of verges was of concern, this issue would be considered for inclusion in the strategy. Small residential roads were generally a low priority for maintenance; however the Committee was reminded that Area Boards could priorities these if necessary.

Officers acknowledged that increased investment in road maintenance would stretch resource nationally as a skilled workforce was required. The Committee agreed that significant improvement of the Highways network had already begun and officers advised that potholes were being filled as a short-term solution. Members stressed that footways and cycle-ways should be maintained and Area Board members should be proactive to ensure this. It was questioned whether the drainage of roads was part of the maintenance programme and officers explained that drainage data was being collected to help the council more to be more intelligent in this area.

The Committee noted that the report would be presented to Cabinet on 19 May 2015 and the Chairman invited representatives from the Committee to attend.

Resolved:

To endorse the following recommendations:

(i)              The good progress on implementing the first year of the ‘Local Highways Investment Fund 2014 – 2020’ is noted, and the involvement of the Area Boards in identifying local priorities is welcomed.

(ii)            The Wiltshire Asset Management Policy and Strategy should be adopted to help guide the delivery of asset management principles with regard to highway infrastructure.

(iii)           Authority should be delegated to Philip Whitehead, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport and Parvis Khansari, Associate Director for Highways and Transport to approve revisions of the Highways Asset Management Policy and Strategy and the emerging detailed plans