Issue - meetings

To summarise the issues raised during discussion how funding for pothole repairs has been allocated and what it can be used for.

We noted that a number of potholes are dealt with within the Frontline Services Department either through routine inspections or reports from the public or Members. All potholes were investigated and assessed against the Council’s intervention level policy. Defects above the intervention level were forwarded to the contractors for repair within 24 hours and most of the remainder to be repaired within 28 days. Some defects were referred to third parties and utility companies.

The Council had dedicated revenue funding for pothole of £200,000. In addition to which a substantial amount of the remaining highways maintenance budget of £500,000 was used on pothole and pavement repairs. However, earlier this year the Department for Transport announced an additional one-off funding of £214,000 for pothole repairs.

It had been agreed that the additional funding should be split between the split between Area Committees based on road length adjusted to take account of the 16 roads to be resurfaced and also those needing resurfacing for which there was no funding in 2011/12 which resulted in an allocation of £28,150. 

We were concerned that there was a clear differentiation between those pot holes filled out of the general budget provision and those funded out of the additional allocation. We were also concerned that details of feedback and of all potholes reported were recorded and published on the Council’s web site.

Officers confirmed that all potholes reported would be inspected and if they met the intervention level then they would be fixed. All potholes reported would be checked and categorized. A list would be collated which would be reported back to the Area Committee. Potholes to be fixed form the additional funding now reported would be shown separately from those to be fixed out of the general budget provision.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.