Further to Minute No.117 of the Council meeting held on 1 March 2010 which set out a £1.1M four year programme relating to the provision of 20mph speed limits in residential areas within Wirral, a report by the Director of Technical Services was presented to the Cabinet.  The commitment to this initiative had been reiterated in a Council Notice of Motion in July 2011 and in the 2012/13 Budget approved by Council on 1 March 2012 (Minute No. 131 refers).

The Director, in his report, sought approval for the key principles and timetable for the project and requested authority to progress the necessary procurement process to secure a suitable tenderer to undertake the works commencing in October 2012.

The report also sought approval for the use of an external consultant resource up to a maximum value of £150k to support the delivery of the whole £1.1M project if required.  The Cabinet was also asked to endorse the provision of further funding in 2013/14 and 2014/15 to complete the roll-out of the initiative as well as recognising the need for revenue growth in the future to cover the future maintenance liabilities associated with the project.

The Cabinet emphasised the need to provide proper permanent signage and instructed that signage that fitted into the area must be used in this initiative.  Members informed that local people in local areas knew where the problem areas were and asked Officers to work with communities at the Area Forums to identify these.  The Cabinet also asked Officers to consult Councils elsewhere in the Country in order to identify best practice that could be used for this project.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the key principles and timetable for the project as described in section 3.0 of the report be approved;

(2)  the proposal to allocate a further £275k for this project in each of the years 2013/14 and 2014/15 to complete the roll-out of 20mph speed limits in all residential areas be endorsed;

(3)  the use of external traffic management consultant resource up to a maximum value of £150k to deliver the whole £1.1M project, if required, as described in section 3.7 of the report be approved;

(4)  the Director of Technical Services be authorised to progress the necessary procurement process to secure a suitable tenderer to undertake the works commencing in October 2012; and

(5)  the principle of a future allocation of £100k per annum revenue growth from 2014/15 onwards, subject to a further report to a future Cabinet meeting regarding the maintenance liabilities associated with the project be endorsed.