Agenda item - HIGHWAYS UPDATE (EXECUTIVE FUNCTION)

This report summarises progress with the Local Committee’s programme of Highways works for 2016-17, asks for approval of the allocation of income from the Parking Agency Agreement and asks the Local Committee to agree the strategy for allocation of Local Committee budgets for next Financial Year 2017-18.

The Local Committee resolved to:

(i) Authorise the Area Highway Manager in consultation with the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and relevant Divisional Member(s), to prioritise schemes as necessary to ensure the remainder of this Financial Year’s budgets are fully invested in the road network in Elmbridge (paragraph 2.3 refers);

(ii) Approve the allocation of £100,000 income from the Parking Agency Agreement to develop Committee’s Cycling Strategy, and a further £270,000 to develop Integrated Transport Schemes (ITS), as detailed in paragraph 2.9;

(iii) Subject to Committee approving recommendation (ii), delegate to the Cycling Task Group two tasks:

a. Devise a programme of projects, for approval by the full Committee, in which to invest the proposed £100,000 allocation from the parking surplus to the Cycling Strategy;

b. Update Committee with progress in delivering the programme of projects at its regular formal meetings (paragraph 2.10 refers);

(iv) Subject to Committee approving recommendation (ii), establish a new Steering Group to oversee the development and delivery of a Brooklands Transport Study (paragraph 2.12 refers);

(v) Approve the strategy for allocation of next Financial Year’s budgets as detailed in Table 3 (paragraphs 2.35 to 2.43 refer);

(vi) Authorise the Area Highway Manager in consultation with the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and relevant Divisional Member(s) to undertake all necessary procedures to deliver the agreed programmes

(vii)Agree that £5,000 is allocated from the Parking Agency Agreement income to prepare a feasibility study for the Hinchley Wood Schools recommended measures in preparation for a CIL bid for the early 2017 CIL bidding round

Reasons for decision: To facilitate delivery of the 2016-17 Highways programmes funded by the Local Committee and to facilitate development of Committee’s 2017-18 Highways programmes, while at the same time ensuring that the Chairman, Vice Chairman and relevant Divisional Members are fully and appropriately involved in any detailed considerations.

In addition to facilitate investment of income from the Parking Agency Agreement in various schemes in Elmbridge, including proposals recommended in the Hinchley Wood Schools Road Safety Outside Schools report.

Nick Healey, the Area Highways Manager, introduced the report.

Members asked questions about particular issues in relation to the general update on 2016/17 schemes.

NH spoke about the income from the parking agency agreement and how it was revenue income so could be spent on either revenue or capital projects. He explained how this income was a great opportunity to invest in transport development. At the Informal meeting held on 6^th July, which borough officers had also attended, the interest in developing the highway network was demonstrated by both organisations. The focus of the Local Committee in recent years had been on funding maintenance with the budget. He added that his proposal was to use the parking agency agreement income to develop schemes and complete the feasibility studies, for which bids could be put forward to the Community Infrastructure Levy board.

County Councillor Mr Stuart Selleck questioned the £100,000 for funding cycling schemes and the funding for both Esher and Brooklands Transport Studies. He suggested that some was spent on resurfacing.

NH confirmed that the detailed cycling schemes would come back to the Local Committee for approval as would the programme for other Highways schemes. He explained that for both Esher and Brooklands money needed to be spent to understand the issues. SCC overall spent 90% of its highways budget on maintenance. His view was that it was better to spend the parking income on unlocking a bigger pot of money.

Members’ comments included:

· Congestion around Brooklands and Esher did have an effect on the area functioning

· We needed feasibilities to unlock LEP funding

· Parking income should be used to reduce the number of mud baths caused by cars parked on grass verges

NH added that in relation to the highways budgets for 2017/18 the proposal was to maintain the strategy of dividing the allocation by the nine divisions as per last year. This proposal along with the proposal for the parking income offered a balance of activity of both capital schemes and maintenance.

The additional recommendation at Item 6a, proposed by County Councillor Mike Bennison and seconded by Borough Councillor Tim Oliver, which was dependent on the outcome at Item 12, was agreed.