Decision details

To announce the results of the distribution of the Local Transport Plan (LTP) Area Board ‘Substantive Highway Scheme’ budget of £150,000 in 2016/17.

I approvethe results of the Substantive Highway Scheme funding mechanism as set out in Appendix 2.

This decision was published on 26 August 2016 and will come into force on 6 September 2016.

There needs to be a mechanism for delivering Area Board transport scheme priorities that exceed the Area Board’s available discretionary highway budget and are unable to be implemented in phases over time. The agreed methodology and the application of the Substantive Highway Scheme Bid Evaluation Formula has resulted in six scheme bids being awarded Substantive Highway Scheme funding in 2016/17.

The mechanism that was approved in July 2011 for distributing the Substantive Highway Scheme Fund awards funding according to value for money and deliverability. Under this mechanism, value for money is the ratio of the cost and benefit of the prospective scheme and deliverability is an assessment of how challenging a scheme would be to implement within a given financial year, considering technical, legal/procedural, operational, financial and public factors. Appendix 1 sets out the Substantive Highway Scheme Bid Evaluation Formula incorporating the above.

Seven bids were received this year and, as in most previous years, the Substantive Highway Scheme Fund was oversubscribed. The seven bids have been scored using the Substantive Highway Scheme Bid Evaluation Formula which ranks the schemes according to cost-benefit and deliverability. It is proposed that Substantive Highway Scheme funding be awarded to the top six bids which scored best according to cost-benefit and deliverability. The results are set out in Appendix 2 with the successful schemes highlighted in bold.

As can be seen from Appendix 2, funding constraints mean that the Woodborough 20 mph zone and footway scheme cannot be allocated the full amount that was bid for. It is proposed that an award is made that is sufficient to implement the 20mph zone in 2016/17 and that the Pewsey CATG are encouraged to submit a substantive highways scheme bid in 2017/18 for the footway element of the scheme. It is also proposed that the CATG’s and Parish Council’s contributions be reduced on a pro rata basis to the level of funding allocation.

A small sum of £3k will remain unallocated and set aside as a programme contingency.

The Cabinet Member report that outlined and approved the mechanism for applying for Substantive Highway Scheme funding was circulated to all Members and Community Area Managers in July 2011. In addition, informal consultation on the Substantive Highway Scheme funding mechanism and the opportunity to bid for funding has taken place at the Area Board Community Area Transport Group meetings since that time.