(KEY DECISION)

Report No. 16/2018 from the Director for Places (Environment, Planning and Transport) was received.

Mr N Begy, Portfolio Holder for Planning Policy & planning Operations, Highways & Transportation and Communications, introduced the report the purpose of which was to consider the allocation of the highway maintenance capital funding for 2018/19 and the indicative allocations for 2019/20 and 2020/21.

During discussion the following points were raised:

1. Recommendation 3 requested approval to increase the limit on the works package allowance for surface dressing in order to simplify processes by allowing several instructions to be placed as one order, rather than placing several separate orders as was necessary at present;
2. The £600k allocation for Oakham town Centre had been carried forward to 2020/21 programme subject to further consultation and consideration of any scheme;
3. The resurfacing of Manor Lane, Barleythorpe, would be done using recycled materials in order to ensure that costs were minimised.  The finished appearance would be similar to regular resurfacing;
4. The Department for Transport publish best practice guidelines on repairing potholes which is followed at Rutland and any new developments in this area were kept under consideration;
5. The time taken to repair potholes was dependent upon the risk.  Timescales were set out in the Highway Maintenance Policy approved by Cabinet in 2017.

DECISION

Cabinet:

1)  APPROVED the highway capital programme for 2018/2019 (attached as Appendix A of Report No. 16/2018);

2)  NOTED the indicative programmes for 2019/20 and 2020/21 (attached as Appendices B and C of Report No. 16/2018); and

3)  APPROVED the increase on works package allowance under the highways term maintenance contract to £500k for surface dressing works.

Reason for the decision

It is recommended that the capital highway maintenance programme in Appendix A be approved to help deliver the Council’s strategic aims of “sustainable growth” and to fulfil the Council’s statutory duties with regard to highway maintenance and road safety as efficiently as possible.