Agenda item

To receive a report from the Strategic Contract Group Manager, Highways and Transport, on the Highways Term Maintenance Contract delivered through Ringway Infrastructure Services over the past two years.

WITNESSES

• Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth
• Owen Jenkins, Executive Director for Highways, Infrastructure and Planning
• Lucy Monie, Director for Highways, Transport and Network Management
• Amanda Richards, Assistant Director Highways for Network & Asset Management
• Richard Bolton, Assistant Director for Highways Operations and Infrastructure
• Paul Wheadon, Strategic Contract Group Manager
• Lewis Bridgeman-Wren, Service Director, Ringway

KEY LINES OF DISCUSSION

1. The Chairman asked whether the Directorate could outline the work done over the last couple of years and provide a breakdown of the cost of the contract and what work had been achieved to date. In reply, the Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth said that the contract was different from the previous one, focusing on quality over price. He mentioned that the contract included reactive, routine, and planned works. He detailed maintenance activities such as fixing 144,000 potholes, winter gritting, 350,000 gully cleans, 227 miles of road resurfacing, and 94 miles of pavement works. He noted that the budget had been anticipated to be up to £80 million but had been £120 million per annum over the past two years. He added that additional benefits included increased spending on local matters, grass cutting, and street cleaning.

2. A Member asked about the inspection process in place for the work done over the last few years and Ringway's assessment of its own performance. In reply, the Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth said that the quality control system included timestamp data and photos that captured before, during, and after the work, allowing desktop reviews. He mentioned that their laboratory checked the material to ensure it was correct and applied properly. The Service Director from Ringway said that the team prioritised safety and conducted strict governance and inspection regimes. He emphasised the team's commitment and pride in their work, especially during challenging times like winter.

3. A Member asked what the key risk areas with Ringway's performance were and what steps the Council was taking to mitigate these. In reply, the Strategic Contract Group Manager said that the key risk areas were the quality of schemes and the outcome of routine drainage work. He mentioned that the quality score assessed various factors and that any part failing resulted in the scheme failing. He noted that parked cars and the gully system often affected drainage work outcomes. He added that sudden bad weather and additional budget allocations also impacted performance.

4. A Member asked about the proportion of increased expenditure that was inflation-linked versus incremental expenditure approved to address poor road maintenance. In reply, the Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth said that the increased expenditure was due to additional budgeting and enhanced spends, including the Horizon programme, task and finish groups, Members' budgets, and enhanced maintenance. He confirmed that the Council's decision to spend significant capital on the highway network had led to a reduction in the average number of potholes.

5. A Member asked how the campaign for a fairer funding formula for more congested counties was going and inquired if there was any sign that the government would recognise that busier and more congested counties required more funding to fix their roads. In reply, the Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth said that most highway authorities preferred the current funding formula as it was more favourable to their locations. He suggested that local government reorganisation might allow for pressing a slight change. He indicated the main lobbying effort was to increase the base rate of funding.

6. A Member asked how the Council worked with Ringway with the additional funding in the contract, inquired about the incentives to maintain quality and efficiency of operations, and questioned how the Council knew that mechanisms to maintain quality and efficiency were in place. In reply, the Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth said that early information sharing on projects helped Ringway get the best prices, benefitting both parties. The Strategic Contract Group Manager added that indexation was a factor, and the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) Price Index was used to track materials and labour costs, with tendering used for major schemes to get competitive prices. The Director for Highways, Transport and Network Management highlighted the use of Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) to achieve efficiency and value, with ongoing processes and industry benchmarking to ensure quality and efficiency.

7. A Member asked why there was not a specific report about pothole performance and if the government funding for potholes had been received, how it was being used, and if it was part of the improvement in pothole performance. In reply, the Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth said that potholes were repaired as part of the safety defect service, which included various highway safety issues. The Assistant Director for Highways Operations and Infrastructure clarified that the government funding was for general highway maintenance, not specifically for potholes, and was part of a larger investment strategy.

8. A Member asked if there was a follow-up system for contractors leaving signs and equipment behind, if contractors were told to bring their equipment back with them, if someone checked if equipment was still there, and what the process was for collecting signs and equipment left behind by contractors. In reply, the Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth said that Ringway monitored and collected signage, with reports on traffic management. Abandoned work signs were collected when reported. Third-party equipment was identified and disposed of if owners were unknown. The Assistant Director for Highways Operations and Infrastructure added that efforts had improved the collection of advanced warning signs, with supervisors checking them.

9. The Chairman asked why the new machinery that had been purchased and demonstrated to the Committee in July 2024 had not been rolled out yet, inquired if the machinery was designed only for painting white lines or if it also painted yellow lines, and asked if there was a published schedule of works that the public could access. In reply, the Assistant Director for Highways Operations and Infrastructure said that the new machinery had not been rolled out yet because the road temperatures were below 5°C at the sites that were considered for use, and the product could not be guaranteed at that temperature. He clarified that the machinery could paint any colour, including white and yellow lines. He stated that there would be a plan of where works were undertaken for 2025-26, but detailed time frames for specific road markings could not be guaranteed due to the operation's complexity and weather dependency.

10. A Member asked about the plans to increase the number of free-running gullies as a result of Ringway's actions and confirmed that with additional investment, the condition of the assets was improving, which logically would result in fewer blockages. In reply, the Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth said that the backlog of defects and underinvestment in the network was being addressed with additional capital. The Assistant Director for Highways Operations and Infrastructure highlighted the cleansing programme and the use of drainage investigation gangs for persistent blockages. He also highlighted the substantial investment in drainage and gully repairs, amounting to £9.92 million.

11. A member asked what work was being done by the Directorate and Ringway to mitigate the carbon footprint of major construction works. In reply, the Strategic Contract Group Manager highlighted efforts to reduce emissions from vehicles, recycle waste locally, and use lower carbon materials in construction. Electrification of heavy vehicles was limited, but trials with waste vegetable oil products were promising. Initiatives included recycling wastewater from gully cleaning and developing lower carbon construction materials.

12. A Member asked what the number of people represented by the £500,000 worth of social value delivered by Ringway was. In reply, the Service Director from Ringway mentioned that Ringway supported the wider community through campaigns, charity engagements, and educational initiatives. Ringway also participated in programmes for ex-offenders. The Director for Highways, Transport and Network Management said that the number of people impacted by the social value was not currently available but would be followed up.

ACTIONS AND REQUESTS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

• Director for Highways, Transport and Network Management: Identify and report the number of people impacted by the £500,000 worth of social value delivered by Ringway.

RECOMMENDATION

RESOLVED, That the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee

1. Welcomes the report and the work that has gone into the Highways Term Maintenance contract.
2. Recommends that the Directorate continues to explore improvements in pothole repairs, street works and line painting.
3. Recommends that the Directorate reviews how quickly road repair signs and equipment is removed once work is completed.
4. Recommends that the Directorate provides an updated Member briefing on Ringway’s approach to tackling blocked gullies.
5. Recommends that the Directorate continues to explore reducing carbon and minimising waste through greater efficiencies in major works.
6. Recommends that the Cabinet Member continues to pursue highway funding from central government through Members of Parliament and the County Council network. The Committee’s view is that governmental funding should be based on vehicle miles to better reflect the demand that Surrey’s motorways are under.