Agenda item

This report summarises progress with the Local Committee’s programme of Highways works for the current Financial Year 2017-18.

Preparations are underway to deliver the Local Committee’s agreed programme of Highways works for the Financial Year 2018-19.

The Council has delegated additional Highways revenue funding to the Local and Joint Committees over and above what had been expected for 2018-19. This additional funding will need to be allocated once the details have been confirmed.

That the Local Committee [Epsom & Ewell] agreed:

(i) To authorise the Area Highway Manager, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman, to allocate Committee’s Highways revenue and capital funding to suitable and beneficial activities and projects, once the details of additional revenue funding has been confirmed;

(ii) To authorise the Area Highway Manager, in consultation with the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Divisional Member and the local community, to finalise the detailed design for the West Park Speed Limit scheme, advertise the necessary Legal Orders, and if there are no significant objections to make the necessary Legal Orders and arrange for the scheme to be implemented;

(iii) 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.

Reasons: Committee’s programme of Highways investment for 2018-19 had been agreed by Committee in November 2017. Significant additional revenue funding has now been allocated to the Local Committee, but the details of this additional funding have not yet been confirmed. To be able to invest Committee’s Highways revenue and capital funding in year, it is essential to allocate funds to specific activities and projects as soon as possible.

The West Park Speed Limit scheme requires authorisation for Legal Orders to be able to implement the scheme.

Committee is asked to provide the necessary authorisation to deliver its programmes of work in consultation with the Chairman, Vice Chairman and relevant Divisional Member without the need to revert to the Committee as a whole.

Declarations of Interest: None

Officers attending: Nick Healey, Area Highways Team Manager

Petitions, Public Questions/Statements: None

Member Discussion – key points

The Area Highways Manager reported that the additional £1.4m highways funding for Local Committees will probably be divided equally between the 11 Boroughs and Districts. He was unable to make a firm recommendation as to how this should be spent as the guidelines had yet to be confirmed. Initial discussions had indicated that if possible £20k would be allocated to each divisional member, including the £7.5k, £40k for ITS schemes and £100k for general Borough wide maintenance projects.

Members queried the progress with the proposed work in East Street/Kiln Lane. The Area Highways Manager reported there have been difficulties in establishing a traffic management plan as the Kiln Lane industrial estate has only one entrance and exit. He is currently awaiting cost estimates and the work has been programmed for the summer holidays. It is likely to be quite disruptive.

The local member queried the success of the new dual use cycle route in West Ewell. She felt that in some places the path is not wide enough and that the path should be resurfaced. The Area Highways Manager reported that the scheme would be reviewed in a year, but in the meantime the maintenance engineer would walk the route with the member and advise on the likely cost and best treatment for the path. It was suggested that if the path is resurfaced a dual use symbol could be painted to make users more aware.

Resolved: