Agenda item

[Report of the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods]

This report seeks approval of the Highways Works Plan for 2020/21 which sets out the Council’s approach to managing the highways infrastructure, delivering the Borough Plan priorities as well as the Council’s strategies as set out in the Local Implementation Plan (LIP3) and in the Transport Strategy.

 The Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods introduced the report which put forward recommendations to facilitate the borough’s aim to have a high quality and safe highway network with a reliable public transport system that everyone can access. This year, in line with the Borough Plan 2019-2023, the report was proposing investing £18,515,000 into a range of highways improvement schemes, making the borough’s streets safer, identifying and improving locations with high accident rates, improving the overall quality of the road network and encouraging walking/cycling and the use of public transport.

The Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods highlighted the funding for two additional rainbow crossings in the borough. One of the crossings would be located at the Roundway which had historical significance in that it was the location of a march in 1986 supporting LGBT rights.

Following questions from Cllr Ogiehor, the following information was noted:

•  That the £1.5m funding for cycle highways infrastructure was dependent on a TFL funding decision and the Cabinet Member shared the frustration with the delay of this funding given the community support obtained to make this and other funding requests. This amount could not be added to the Highways budget, which was for approval, as this this was still to come forward

• The Leader advised that in relation to recommendation 1 – this should read appendix 3 instead of appendix 1 and in relation to recommendation 3, this should be amended to refer to the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods.

RESOLVED

1. To approve the Highways Works Plan for 2020/21 financial year as set out in the attached Appendix 3 – Funding by Theme:

2. To authorise the Head of Operations to carry out consultation in accordance with Appendix 4 and to make necessary traffic orders, having had due regard to any prior consultation, to give effect to those schemes in the Highway Works Plan;

3. To authorise the Head of Operations to consider any objections and representations to statutory consultation on schemes and to report back to the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods if there are significant or substantial objections or concerns raised:

4. To delegate decisions relating to scheme design and implementation to the Head of Operations.

Reasons for Decision

The annual HWP sets out the Council’s Highways, Traffic and Parking projects for the coming financial year and how they align with the Council’s strategic objectives.

The report provides detail of the funding arrangements seeks authority to proceed with the development and delivery of these projects subject to appropriate consultation.

Alternative options considered

No other options were considered. The Council has a statutory obligation to maintain the public highway network. Allocated funding is not sufficient to cover all maintenance requirements therefore this plan prioritises the work that needs to be done. The 2020/21 works plan has been informed by the Council’s Transport Strategy and LIP3, which involved consultation with key stakeholders. The maintenance programme has been prioritised through highway condition surveys, visual inspections, and concerns raised by Elected Members and members of the wider community.

The programme includes transport schemes previously agreed by Cabinet as part of the LIP3 and associated 3-year Annual Spending Submission, which is funded by Transport for London (TfL).

The proposed Council funded projects were approved by Cabinet on the 10th December 2019 as part of the Capital Strategy and 10-year Capital Programme.