Minutes:
Witnesses:
Mark Borland, Projects and Contracts Group Manager, Highways
Key points raised during the discussion:
1. The Projects and Contracts Group Manager provided the Committee with an overview of progress to date in relation to Project Horizon’s key objectives. The Project was a £120 million investment plan which had been receiving a lot of national recognition to date. It was a forward looking scheme being reviewed every six months to allow for proper coordination with utilities and drainage companies to ensure roads were not being dug up several times in a year.
2. The aim was to have roads resurfaced within five to six days, with eight gangs working at one time across Surrey. Each road was being looked at individually to ensure a proper solution was being implemented which would provide the best long term solution. The Projects and Contracts Group Manager stated that the increase in major maintenance funding from £10m in 2010 to £20m in 2013, to rebuild the worst roads in the County, would enable 60 miles per year be rebuilt instead of only 20 miles per year.
3. The Project Team were in the process of developing a carriageway programme which would be delivered once Project Horizon had been completed. The programme would consider solutions to 7% of poor condition roads which were not being resurfaced as part of Project Horizon.
4. Members questioned the 10 year design life guarantee as there were roads in Surrey which were having to be resurfaced after three and half years. The officer confirmed that the 10 year guarantee was for roads which had had major works completed on it and all other road would received a warranty for the workmanship which lasted for two years.
5. The Committee queried whether the Project was achieving its aims, and how enforceable the five year embargo for utilities companies to dig up the roads, except in emergency situations, was. The officer confirmed the Project had achieved 12% savings to date, with the aim of it increasing to 15% by the end of the year, and 20% savings in 2014. The Project Team were working with utilities companies to ensure the roads were not being dug up after being resurfaced. The County Council had powers to tow away parked cars in areas where works were planned, and in addition, the County Council had received permission from the Department for Transport to implement a permit scheme to better control utility works in Surrey.
6. The Projects and Contracts Group Manager confirmed the Project Team would be happy to consider roads Local Committees would like to fund, but would be looking for a like-for-like replacement of roads on the project list. The overall plan for Project Horizon would be scheduled in the winter of 2013 and in January 2014 the team will work with local members to form local plans.
7. Members raised concerns that Year 1 schemes were starting in November 2013 during winter weather conditions. The Projects and Contracts Group Manager confirmed he would have liked to have started in the summer, however the Project had not received Local Committee sign off until June 2013 and the team were now working with utility companies to coordinate works. However, where possible they planned to start work early.
8. The Committee queried how the Project Team were going to communicate with local members regarding when works were planned in their division. The officer stated information would be provided in the Members Bulletin, through local area teams and an internet application was being designed which would be rolled out in the autumn to Members.
9. The officer confirmed 186 schemes had been designed to date with all plans to be designed by 31 October 2013. The officer agreed to provide Members of the Committee with the schedule of works for the rest of the financial year by this deadline.
10. The Committee commended the outcomes of the contract to date and thanked the Project Team for their work.
Recommendation:
None.
Actions/further information to be provided:
None.
Committee next steps:
The Committee to scrutinise a progress report on outstanding/ongoing actions of Project Horizon at its meeting in September 2013.