Councillors and committees

Agenda item

UPDATE FROM CABINET MEMBER FOR HIGHWAYS [EXECUTIVE FUNCTION FOR INFORMATION]

The Cabinet Member for Highways will provide the committee with an update on highway works in the local area.

Minutes:

Declarations of Interest: None

 

Officers attending: Zena Curry, Area Highways Manager

 

Petitions, Public Questions, Statements: None

 

Member discussion – key highlights

 

1.    The Chairman asked the Cabinet Member for Highways to pass on the Committee’s thanks to officers on the way they handled operations during the recent spell of extreme winter weather.

2.    Improved communications during this period had been vital and the Cabinet Member had disseminated information through local members and used social media for key messages.

3.    Following his attendance at the meeting in September, the Cabinet Member wanted to provide members with an update on how money was being spent locally.

4.    The main report included revised information on defects on the highway, which should be clearer and easier to understand.

5.    A revised version of Annex 1 is attached and includes minor amendments to some signal schemes.

6.    Information in Annex 1 has been improved to give more detail when schemes have been deferred.

7.    Members were invited to advise the AHM by email of any schemes they wanted to query in the 2018/19 programme.

8.    The AHM will compile a list of questions and responses which will be made available to the whole committee.

9.    This new process still needs to be refined and it is important to start conversations about schemes planned for 2019/20 (Annex 3).The recent spell of bad weather may have changed the priority on roads that have been  seriously affected.

10.  The list of schemes for 2018/19 will be published on the county council website and reviewed every three months, with reasons given for any deferment.

11.  The criteria for spending the new Member Local Highways Fund had not yet been finalised but this new money would enable councillors to react to local issues.

12.  To help with this members would be provided with a menu of prices so that they would know the approximate cost of a job.

13.  In addition the Cabinet Member would be challenging the council’s contractor to deliver some basic schemes within three months.

14.  AHM will clarify the meaning of QBC on page 67 of Annex 3.

15.  Members highlighted that there were problems with communications on highways matters, particularly with regard to the timeliness and accuracy of messages.

16.  The Cabinet Member agreed that communication was key and that messages needed to be clearer and less technical in content. This aspect had improved but further progress was required.

17.  He also agreed that more needed to be done around managing contracts that had not been fulfilled. He would continue to challenge on such occasions and would push officers to do the same.

18.  Members highlighted the problems regarding the new speed cameras on the A217 where two are already missing. AHM to follow up.

19.  In her absence the divisional member for Reigate had submitted a number of written questions/queries on this item, which the AHM will respond to outside of the meeting.

 

 

The Local Committee (Reigate and Banstead) agreed to:

 

(i)            Comment on the information

Supporting documents: