Decision details

Highway Structural Maintenance Programme 2019/20

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Decisions:

Councillor Stuart Whittingham introduced a report informing that on 1 February 2019, the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Combined Authority had awarded £2,625,000 of Highways Maintenance funding to Wirral Council to support investment in our highways assets. This was in addition to a further £315,000 from the LCR Combined Authority especially for the Route Network and £1,465,000 extra funding from the Department for Transport Key (DfT) awarded late last year. The Cabinet was reminded that the Council had also recently allocated £500,000 from its own Capital Programme for Unclassified Roads.

 

Councillor Stuart Whittingham sought the Cabinet’s approval to accept this funding and allocate it between Roads/Footways, Bridges and Street Lighting. He also requested approval for the first phase of the Highway Structural Maintenance Programme for 2019/20 for Classified Roads.

 

The Cabinet was informed that this funding would support the delivery of the Connecting Wirral Transport Strategy and the Wirral Plan Pledge to provide transport and technology infrastructure fit for the future, and would ensure that Wirral had safe, affordable, well-maintained and efficient transport networks for residents to access community services, enjoy our leisure facilities and commute to work.

 

The maintenance of highways was a statutory duty for the Council under the Highways Act 1980 (as amended).

 

The Cabinet was informed that no other options had been considered because the programme was based on meeting the highest priority needs within the funding available against the condition and assessment criteria.

 

This was a Key Decision and affected all Wards within the borough.

 

Councillor Whittingham reported that the quality of roads and highways was a big priority for Wirral residents as they expected to travel on a transport network that was safe, efficient and of high quality.  This was what he was working every day towards delivering and despite ongoing austerity he was delighted to inform that the Council was now in a position to go even further by allocating nearly £5m to ensure Wirral’s transport infrastructure was fit for the future by improving roads and ensuring residents benefited from a first class highways network. Councillor Whittingham considered that the investment would help bring about further growth in the Wirral economy and ensure road users across the borough continued to experience efficiencies and safer journeys.

 

Councillor Phil Davies informed that he supported this very welcome injection of almost £5m into improving Wirral’s highways and roads network.  This area was one of ‘The Getting the Basics Right’ priorities and he considered that the spread of schemes across the borough that were included in Appendix 1 to the report showed that the Council was listening to resident’s concerns and addressing those highways issues it had been told about. This was another example of the Council working well with the Combined Authority to secure funding.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)  the acceptance of £2,625,000 of Highway Maintenance funding for 2019/20 awarded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority be approved;

 

(2)  the acceptance of £315,000 additional funding for the Key Route Network awarded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority be approved;

 

(3)  the acceptance of £1,465,000 Highway Maintenance funding from the Department for Transport be approved;

 

(4)  the proposed allocation of the Highway maintenance funding between Roads/Footways, Bridges and Street Lighting be approved;

 

(5)  the detailed Highway Structural Maintenance Programme for 2019/20 for Classified roads as outlined in Appendix 1 be approved; and

 

(6)  the Interim Director Highways & Streetscene in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport be authorised to make necessary adjustments to the programme should the need arise due to financial, asset conditions or other factors.

Publication date: 12/04/2019

Date of decision: 25/03/2019

Decided at meeting: 25/03/2019 - Cabinet

Effective from: 24/04/2019

Accompanying Documents: