Issue - meetings

This report seeks approval of a revised allocation of the revenue maintenance budget 2018/19 and of how works funded from the revenue budget, will be delivered on members’ behalf.

The Local Committee (Mole Valley) agreed to:

(i)            Approve the revised allocation of the Local Committee’s devolved revenue maintenance budget as set out in para. 2.2 of this report;

(ii)           Note the Members Local Highways Fund as detailed in para. 2.7 and 2.8 of this report; and

Resolved to:

(iii)      Agree that the revenue maintenance budget and the Members Local      Highways Fund be managed by the Mole Valley Maintenance Engineer on members’ behalf.

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS:

To agree the allocation of the Mole Valley Local Committee’s devolved revenue maintenance budget and how works are going to be managed on members’ behalf. 

Declarations of interest: None

Officers in attendance: Zena Curry, Area Highways Manager

Public Questions, Petitions, Statements: None

Member discussion – key highlights

1.    The divisional member for Bookham and Fetcham West queried the proposed allocation of £100,00 to the revenue maintenance gang and suggested that the funding should be better balanced with more being given over to ‘Minor Maintenance Works’.

2.    This would allow local members to be able to react to requests from residents for minor patching works. Many of the roads in Mole Valley (mostly C and D roads) were unlikely to be prioritised for Horizon 2.

3.    The Chair and Vice-Chair already had delegated authority to move funds between different revenue budgets.

4.    There were various countywide maintenance programmes so it was important to ensure that the local committee budget was not being used to maintain roads already included in one of the centrally funded programmes.

5.    It was also important to keep sufficient funds for other works such as for trees, grass cutting etc.

6.    Some Members expressed concern that the proposal would reduce the work of the community gang, especially in rural areas where their work was particularly valued for cutting back vegetation etc

7.    Members agreed to move forward with the recommendation as it stood but elected to review how the budgets were being spent and the work of the revenue maintenance gang in the summer.

The Local Committee (Mole Valley) agreed to:

(i)            Approve the revised allocation of the Local Committee’s devolved revenue maintenance budget as set out in para. 2.2 of this report;

(ii)           Note the Members Local Highways Fund as detailed in para. 2.7 and 2.8 of this report; and

Resolved to:

(iii)      Agree that the revenue maintenance budget and the Members Local      Highways Fund be managed by the Mole Valley Maintenance Engineer on members’ behalf.

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS:

To agree the allocation of the Mole Valley Local Committee’s devolved revenue maintenance budget and how works are going to be managed on members’ behalf.