Agenda item

This report seeks approval of a programme of highway works for Guildford funded from the Joint Committee’s delegated capital and revenue budgets.

The Joint Committee (Guildford):

General

(i) Noted that, subject to approval by cabinet, the Joint Committee’s devolved highways budget for capital works in 2022/23 is £828,390.

(ii) Agreed that, subject to approval by cabinet, the devolved capital budget for highway works be used to progress both capital improvement schemes and member capital allocation as detailed in section 1.

(iii) Authorised that the Highway Engagement & Commissioning Manager in consultation with county members to be able to reallocate budget to reserve schemes should there be a need to change the programme.

(iv) Authorised that the Highways Engagement and Commissioning Manager in consultation with county members, be able to allocate any additional funding for schemes, in accordance with any guidance issued surrounding that funding.

Capital Improvement Schemes

(v) Agreed that, subject to approval by cabinet, the capital improvement schemes allocation for Guildford be used to progress the Major Integrated Transport Schemes programme set out in Annex 1.

(vi) Authorised that the Highways Engagement and Commissioning Manager be able to vire money between the schemes agreed in Annex 1, if required.

(vii) Agreed that Highways Engagement and Commissioning Manager, in line with the Scheme of Delegation, is able to progress any scheme from the Major Integrated Transport Schemes programme, including consultation and statutory advertisement that may be required under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, for completion of those schemes. Where it is agreed that a scheme will not be progressed, this will be reported back to the appropriate county member.

Member Capital Allocation

(viii) Noted that, subject to approval by cabinet, £50,000 is allocated to each divisional member. Up to £15,000 of this could be allocated to minor ITS, or all £50,000 could be used on capital maintenance (recommended option). The schemes are to be proposed by county members in consultation with the Stakeholder Engagement Officer.

Revenue Maintenance

(ix) Noted that the members, subject to approval by cabinet, will continue to receive a Member Local Highways Fund (revenue) allocation of £7,500 per county member to address highway issues in their division; and

(x) Agreed that each county member allocates £5,000 of their Member Local Highways Fund allocation to be pooled to commission a revenue maintenance gang.

(xi) Agreed that revenue works are to be managed by the Highway Maintenance team on behalf of and in consultation with county members.

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS:

To agree, subject to approval by cabinet, a programme of highways works in Guildford for 2022/23, funded from budgets available to enable schemes and works to progress.

Declarations of Interest: None

Officers Attending: Zena Curry, Highways Engagement and Commissioning Manager, SCC

Petitions, Public Questions and Statements: None

Member Discussion – key points:

The Engagement and Commissioning Manager outlined the draft budget report, the funds available for Members and the proposed ITS scheme list (Annex 1). The Local Engagement Officer had been in touch with County Members to gather their local priorities for expenditure. Additional funds had also been made available county-wide to cover road safety outside schools.

The officer undertook to provide the budget figure for 2021/22 (see below).

The full ITS list (the ‘running list’) will be included as an annex to the minutes of this meeting.

There was discussion of the prioritisation process and in particular the inclusion of the level of public support for a proposed or requested scheme. The majority of schemes are included on the list as a result of a question or a petition, indicating public support. The current CASEE system is being reviewed, and in future public engagement sessions will be an important part of the overall process for selecting and prioritising schemes.

Cllr Witham (Worplesdon) suggested the possibility of sharing the costs of the proposed Pirbright arch scheme between Guildford and Woking joint committees given its proximity to the boundary between the two and the shared benefit the residents of both boroughs would receive. The Engagement and Commissioning Manager highlighted that an advantage under the new arrangement for prioritising schemes, which will take a county-wide approach rather than a borough or district-based approach, could well be that schemes like this near a border could be put forward for consideration more easily.

The recommendations proposed that a contribution of £5k from each Divisional Member’s £7.5k allocation be put towards a maintenance gang. This happens each year and all members have agreed to it in the past. It is a more efficient process, taking less time to respond to local priorities, and more cost effective than the revenue maintenance gangs. Additional information would be circulated to members.

The Cabinet member referred members to the Cabinet report from 22 February 2022 for full details of the move to the new county-wide prioritisation approach.

The following information was provided after the meeting:

The budget for 2020/21 and 2021/22 are detailed on the link here: (Public Pack)Agenda Document for Guildford Joint Committee, 17/03/2021 16:00 (surreycc.gov.uk)

The total budget delegated to the JC in 2020/21 was £454,456; in 2021/22 it was £903,286 (including additional amount for ITS); in 2022/23 it is £903,390 (with an increase in capital maintenance from £334,456 to £500,000).

Resolved: