Agenda item - HIGHWAYS FORWARD PROGRAMME 2013/14 [EXECUTIVE FUNCTION]

To seek approval from the Committee for the 2 year forward plan for Highway Schemes in Mole Valley.

The Local Committee RESOLVED to:

(i) Approve the list of Integrated Transport Schemes for 2013/14 and 2014/15 given in Annex 1 and agree that further schemes can be added to the list during the year, subject to formal Local Committee approval and funding being allocated;

(ii) Agree that the Integrated Transport Schemes allocation for Mole Valley is used to progress the new schemes as set out in Annex 1;

(iii) Authorise the Local Committee Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Area Team Manager, together with the relevant local divisional Member to progress any scheme from the agreed Integrated Transport Schemes programme for 2013/14, including consultation and statutory advertisement that may be required under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, for completion of those schemes;

(iv) Agree that where the Local Committee Chairman, Vice-Chairman, relevant local divisional Member and Area Team Manager agree that an Integrated Transport Scheme should not progress for any reason, a report be submitted to the next formal meeting of the Local Committee for resolution;

(v) Authorise that the Area Team Manager, in consultation with the Local Committee Chairman and Vice-Chairman, be able to vire money between the schemes listed in Annex 1, if required;

(vi) Approve the Integrated Transport Schemes allocation for capital maintenance be divided equitably between County Councillors to treat roads to be agreed by the Area Team Manager in consultation with the Local Committee Chairman, Vice-Chairman and the local divisional Members;

(vii) Authorise the Area Maintenance Engineer, in consultation with the Local Committee Chairman, Vice-Chairman and relevant local divisional Member, to use £100,000 of the revenue maintenance budget for 2013/14 as detailed in Table 2 of this report;

(viii) Authorise that the Area Maintenance Engineer, in consultation with the Local Committee Chairman and Vice-Chairman, be able to vire the revenue maintenance budget between the headings detailed in Table 2 of this report, with the exception of the Highways Localism Initiative heading, if required;

(ix) Agree that the £5,000 per County Councillor allocated from the revenue maintenance budget for Highways Localism Initiative works , if not distributed to the Parishes by the end of November 2013, revert to the relevant Members Community Pride allocation;

(x) Authorise the additional revenue maintenance budget for 2013/14 be used to fund a revenue maintenance gang in Mole Valley and to carry out drainage works, with any balance used to carry out works identified by the Area Maintenance Engineer, in consultation with the Local Committee Chairman, Vice-Chairman and relevant local divisional Member;

(xi) Agree that the Community Pride Funding is devolved to each County Councillor based on an equitable allocation of £5,000 per division; and

(xii) Agree that Members should contact the Area Maintenance Engineer to discuss their specific requirements with regard to their Community Pride allocation and arrange for the work activities to be managed by the Area Maintenance Engineer on their behalf.

The Local Committee PROPOSED and AGREED an additional recommendation to:

Authorise the Area Team Manager to vire money from the ITS Capital Maintenance budget to the ITS Capital Improvement budget in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the committee.

Reason for Decision

The Local Committee have worked with officers to compile the schemes list for the financial years for 2013/14 and 2014/15. Due to the number of schemes members felt to be of importance over the next two years, the committee felt the option to via money from the capital maintenance budget to the capital improvements budget would allow these schemes to be undertaken.

The committee members worked with officers to compile the list of schemes for 2013/14 and 2014/15. These schemes have then been ranked through the CASAM rating to prioritise them.

Members of the committee raised questions with regards to some of the larger schemes. The Area Highways Manager confirmed that these schemes fell under the remit of the central team and would be ranked in accordance with other schemes throughout the county. They will also be picked up through the ‘Project Horizon’ work.

The committee members had several queries over schemes which were raised with officers but weren’t on the final list. The Area Highways Manager advised that this was due to the limits of the budget being reached. The Chair of the Committee felt that this could be addressed through moving some funds from the ITS Capital Maintenance budget to the ITS Capital Schemes budget and proposed an additional recommendation to allow the Area Highways Manger to be able to vire money from one budget to the other. Members were concerned as they recognised the importance of regular maintenance on the highways network, however felt that it was important to have the flexibility to be able to move the budget if required.