Agenda Item No. 12

The Vale of Glamorgan Council

Cabinet Meeting: 2nd July 2018

Report of the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services and Transport

Highway Resurfacing 3 Year Plan 2018 to 2021

Purpose of the Report

To advise Cabinet of the Highway Maintenance 3 year Resurfacing Plan and to agree the priority locations for resurfacing works as detailed in the plan.

Recommendation

That Cabinet note the contents of the Highway Maintenance 3 year Resurfacing Plan attached at Appendix A and agree the priority locations for resurfacing works as identified.
That the Director of Environment and Housing Services be authorised to amend the plan, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services and Transport if other urgent and unexpected priorities are identified.
That this matter is referred to the Scrutiny Committee (Environment and Regeneration) for consideration.

Reason for the Recommendation

To improve the condition of the Council's local highway infrastructure on a prioritised basis in accordance with the Funding available.
To deal efficiently with changes in the Plan should other highway routes deteriorate more rapidly than expected or constraints dictate that a change in priority is required to ensure the most cost effective use of the budget allocation in 2018/19.
To ensure that the relevant Scrutiny Committee can consider the details of the proposed Highway Resurfacing 3 Year Plan 2018 to 2021.

Background

The local highway network within the Vale of Glamorgan is a valuable asset to the community for which the Council is responsible. The way it is managed and maintained has a direct impact on residents, businesses and visitors who use it on a daily basis.
All users depend on a reliable service from the local highway network in order to sustain the Vale of Glamorgan's economic and transportation needs and it is therefore essential that the network is maintained in as good a condition as possible.
The carriageway resurfacing locations proposed in the Highway Maintenance 3 year Resurfacing Plan represent the outcome of technical scanner survey data and physical on-site condition assessments of the local highway network by experienced highway maintenance staff.
The locations on the plan have been assessed and recorded in a prioritised manner to ensure the most appropriate and effective use of the available resources in order to best maintain the Vale of Glamorgan's local highway network.

Relevant Issues and Options

A letter was sent to all Town and Community Council's in March 2018 by the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services and Transport advising that the Council has set aside a sum of £2.436m for highways resurfacing for the 2018/19 financial year.
The main purpose of the letter was to ensure that more minor highway routes within local areas were given consideration, where the local community felt such routes to be of 'local importance'. The letter offered the Town and Community Councils an opportunity to input into the review of this year's Highway Maintenance 3 year Resurfacing Plan by using their local knowledge to submit up to three routes which they considered to be high priority within their ward area no later than 20th April 2018. The letter advised that the Council would then assess each route to establish its priority on the Highway Maintenance 3 year Resurfacing Plan and submit it to Cabinet for future consideration.
The proposed Highway Maintenance 3 year Resurfacing Plan is attached at Appendix A and identifies carriageways requiring treatment to prevent further surface and structural deterioration. The roads and routes include certain routes suggested by the Town and Community Councils that responded to the above letter as well as other priority roads identified by the Council's Highway Engineers as requiring treatment. The roads and routes suggested by Town and Community Councils are listed in Appendix C. The carriageways of all the roads and routes listed within the Plan for resurfacing have been assessed in accordance with the 'Carriageway Resurfacing Prioritisation Scoring System' which is attached at Appendix B.
The 'Carriageway Resurfacing Prioritisation Scoring System' identifies several criteria and data factors which enable a score to be derived and the prioritised 3 year Plan for resurfacing to be established. Resurfacing works are costly and this form of treatment generally relates to major and heavily trafficked routes. Roads that will receive surfacing works this financial year will be selected from the prioritised resurfacing list. Cabinet will note that the roads on the resurfacing list scoring the highest from top to bottom on the plan will generally be completed first, however, the comments column identifies any specific constraints that need to be considered to progress works safely and adequately along specific roads. In certain cases, where these constraints relate to conflict with other schemes, works required to utility services or drainage issues may mean the resurfacing of these roads needs to be delayed or postponed.
In addition to proposed resurfacing works, there are lists of planned micro-asphalt and surface dressing programmes which are essential lower cost preventative treatments to halt the ongoing deterioration of the road surface to prevent premature failure and more costly resurfacing works in future. These treatments maintain and extend the life of the highway asset whilst achieving the optimum benefit from the highway maintenance Capital budget available. These programmes have been listed in alphabetical order at Appendix A as the prioritisation of this work between routes is similar.
The roads listed on the micro-asphalt and surface dressing programmes on the revised Plan are not assessed against the full criteria in Appendix B as these treatments are classed as preventative works and therefore scanner data, third party claims, One Vale complaints and maintenance cost may not necessarily apply or be meaningful in such situations. The application of micro-asphalt and surface dressing is therefore determined wholly by engineering assessment and knowledge of the Vale's local highway network carried out by the Council's highway engineering professionals based on their professional expert and engineering judgement. These programmes have been listed alphabetically as the prioritisation of this work between routes is similar.
Delivery of the Plan is subject to the appropriate funding provided this financial year. All routes listed on the Plan would benefit from the treatments indicated, however, there is insufficient funding available to complete all the routes indicated on the Plan. As such and to maximise the benefit to the highway asset of the low cost preventative treatments, it is proposed to undertake all works on the micro asphalt and surface dressing lists this financial year. This work is estimated to cost £750k to £1M subject to final costs under the specific contracts currently being retendered for this specialist work.
The remainder of the budget will be spent on resurfacing works in line with the priority list provided and subject to the comments made above. There is insufficient funding available to complete all the routes indicated on the resurfacing lists, however, officers will seek to maximise the number of routes completed this year using the competitive rates and prices available in the Council's current Carriageway / Pavement Renewal Contract. It is currently anticipated that the budget will enable resurfacing works to be undertaken to roads scoring a total of 270 points or above, but this will be subject to final review of actual works costs. Those roads on the resurfacing list which do not receive works this year subject to budget limits or other constraints will be reviewed automatically for next year's Plan. The Highway Maintenance 3 year Resurfacing Plan is currently reviewed annually.
The Highway Maintenance 3 year Resurfacing Plan provides the foundation for delivering a well-maintained and managed highway infrastructure. It ensures levels of service are optimised and that the highway infrastructure asset is managed wherever practicable, in the most efficient manner to meet the expectations of all highway users.

Resource Implications (Financial and Employment)

As a result of Welsh Government funding of £1.136M which was made available in 2017/18, the Council has been able to use that sum to supplement the funding available this year to fund highway resurfacing works.
The funding available from the Council's own Capital budgets to deliver this year's programme of resurfacing works amounts to £1.3M which includes an additional £500k for Additional Highways Resurfacing and Maintenance as well as £500k awarded as part of a Capital bid for resurfacing.
The current budget allocation to undertake resurfacing works in 2019/20 is £700k and in 2020/21 is £300k which represents a significant decrease in funding from this financial year and is considered to be insufficient to maintain the steady state of the Council's local highway network which requires some £2.1M annually.
Therefore the total budget available to deliver this year's programme of works identified in the Highway Resurfacing 3 Year Plan currently amounts to a total £2.436M for 2018/19 compared to a budget of £1.3M to complete all resurfacing works in 2017/18.
The resurfacing programme will be managed and supervised by existing staff resources within the Neighbourhood Services and Transport Section.

Sustainability and Climate Change Implications

Sustainability and climate change are considered during the contract preparation to minimise waste and maximise the use of recycled materials wherever practicable.

Legal Implications (to Include Human Rights Implications)

The Council has a duty to maintain the Highway pursuant to the Highways Act 1980.

Crime and Disorder Implications

There are no crime and disorder implications in respect of this report.

Equal Opportunities Implications (to include Welsh Language issues)

There are no equal opportunity implications to this report.

Corporate/Service Objectives

A well maintained highway contributes to corporate Well-being Outcome 4: An Active and Healthy Vale and Objective 7 to Encouraging and promoting active and healthy lifestyles.

Policy Framework and Budget

This matter is within the policy framework and budget and is a matter for executive decision by Cabinet.

Consultation (including Ward Member Consultation)

There has been no individual Ward Member consultation on this matter as it is a Vale wide issue.

Relevant Scrutiny Committee

Environment and Regeneration.

Background Papers

None

Contact Officer

Mike Clogg - Operational Manager Engineering

Officers Consulted

Committee Reports - Legal

Neighbourhood Services & Transport - Accountant

Responsible Officer:

Miles Punter - Director of Environment and Housing Services