Decision details

To announce the results of the distribution of the Local Transport Plan (LTP) Area Board ‘Substantive Highway Scheme’ budget of £250,000 in 2013/14.

That the results of the Substantive Highway Scheme funding mechanism as set out in Appendix 2 be approved.

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 the 11 most cost-effective and deliverable scheme bids being awarded Substantive Highway Scheme funding in 2013/14.

The mechanism that was approved in July 2011 for distributing the Substantive Highways 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.

Fifteen bids for funding were received and these have been scored using the Substantive Highway Scheme Bid Evaluation Formula.  It is proposed that Substantive Highway Scheme funding be awarded to the top eleven 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.

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.