Decision details

The Director, Frontline Services referred Members to his report which set out the detailed capital programme for the additional funding allocated to maintaining the Council’s highways and transportation network, further to the 21^st September 2021 Cabinet approval of an additional £1.5M of capital funding for highway maintenance in 2021/22, and subject to positive consideration by Council on 29^th September.

Members were provided with details of the highways improvements identified including carriage ways and footways improvements and Members were referred to appendix 1 of the report which further detailed the investment to be made.  The Director added that the Council was one of the few Councils that had continued to make meaningful and significant investments in its highway network. 

The Leader welcomed the report before Members and referenced the improvements already taken forward by the Council with £1.304M proposed schemes to be added to carriage ways, which would be further supplemented by £0.100M to carry out drainage improvements throughout the period.  The Leader also referenced the £0.096M proposed schemes in respect of footways.

At this juncture in the meeting and with the permission of the Leader, County Borough Councillor P Jarman addressed the committee on this item.

The Deputy Leader commented on the challenges faced by all Local Authorities and referenced the investment that the Council had continued to take forward and complimented the service for the work delivered and continued to deliver.

Following discussions, it was RESOLVED to:

1.    Note and approve the Supplementary Capital Programme for Highways, Transportation and Strategic Projects as detailed within this report.

2.    Note that the current allocations are part of a 3-year capital programme and delegate authority to the Group Director, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Director of Finance and Digital Services, to extend activity to deliver additional projects during the financial year where capacity exists for accelerated delivery in accordance with the purpose of the wider programme, or to suspend programmes/projects and reallocate funding to optimise delivery.

The need to present a detailed capital programme for the additional funding allocated to maintaining our highways and transportation network.