Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room One, County Offices, Newland, Lincoln Lincs LN1 1YL. View directions

Contact: Rachel Wilson  Democratic Services Officer

Items
No. Item

66.

Apologies for Absence/Replacement Members

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor M A Griggs.

67.

Declaration of Members' Interests

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest at this point in the meeting.

68.

Minutes of the meeting held on 12 March 2018 pdf icon PDF 215 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED

 

            That the minutes of the meeting held on 12 March 2018 be signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

69.

Announcements by the Chairman, Executive Councillor and Lead Officers

Minutes:

There were no announcements from the Chairman, Executive Councillor or senior officers.

70.

Network Management Plan Update pdf icon PDF 19 KB

(To receive a report by Mick Phoenix, Network Management Commissioner, which sets out the updated Network Management Plan to reflect the legislative changes, including the introduction of the Lincolnshire Permit Scheme.  It also incorporates the changes resulting from the reorganisation of Lincolnshire County Council Highways and Transport rolled out in 2017)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a report which provided members with the opportunity to consider the Network Management Plan.  It was reported that under the Traffic Management Act 2004, part of the duties of the Traffic Manager, included a recommendation that a Network Management Plan should be used to gather all the policies, standards and procedures associated with highways network management into one document.  The Plan implemented the objectives and aims of the Local Transport Plan 4, however it was regularly reviewed to reflect changes introduced by central government and local priorities.

 

Members were advised that the key aim of the Network Management Plan was to deliver against the government's priorities for transport in areas such as accessibility, reliable journey times and better air quality.  It was noted that the integration of the various plans and policies with the Network Management Plan allowed a co-ordinated approach to deliver a well-managed network.  The introduction of Value for Money performance measures, as part of the reorganisation, helped to ensure that the delivery of services was closely monitored and any efficiency gains identified could be incorporated into the Network Management Plan.

 

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present in relation to the information contained within the report and some of the points raised included the following:

·         It was queried whether electronic links to the urban transport strategies for Lincoln, Grantham, Boston, Spalding, Sleaford and Gainsborough could be included at the end of the document.  Officers agreed to add these in.

·         It was commented that, in relation to road classification, the functions of roads in rural and urban areas could change, and it was queried what options there were for changing the position of roads within the road hierarchy. Members were advised that the policy on roads was one step above the Network Management Plan and was a collaboration between the network function and those involved in transport planning. 

·         In relation to permits, it was noted that when a road surface had just been laid it became protected. However, utility companies had a statutory right to access their pipes which would override the protected status.

·         In relation to the Lincolnshire Broadband Programme, it was queried whether it was thought that the projected timescales were realistic.  Members were advised that the timescales were set by BT and were incorporated into the document.  The executive Councillor for Highways, Transport and IT added that the onlincolnshire broadband project was actually a little ahead of schedule.  Therefore, it was believed that the timescales for implementation were realistic.

·         Further to the query regarding the broadband project, it was commented that there were some rural villages which could not access the superfast broadband.  It was noted that the cables in the area had been upgraded, however, due to network capacity issues some people were not able to get the speeds promised.  It was suggested that this issue should be taken up with the Executive Councillor outside of the meeting.

·         It was queried whether the pedestrian crossing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 70.

71.

Additional Highways Funding pdf icon PDF 53 KB

(To receive a report from Paul Rusted, Infrastructure Commissioner, which sets out the potential approach to the effective use of additional highway maintenance funding)

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report which set out the potential approach to the effective use of additional maintenance funding. 

 

It was reported that all of the Councils existing highways maintenance funding was focused on delivering the best outcomes for the highway user through implementation of the Highway Asset Management Policy, Strategy and Plan.  This robust approach to the use of resources allowed officers to maximise the potential benefit to the road user as demonstrated by the Council's recent CQC Efficiency Rating of 98%, but it also ensured that the authority received the maximum level of Incentive Funding from the Department for Transport.

 

Members were advised that the Highways Service had recently received additional funding from a variety of sources:

·         £4m from the Council's own underspend/reserve which was available to spend during the duration of the Council

·         £1.7m from the Department for Transport's Pothole Fund which should be spent during the financial year 2018/19

·         A further £3.3m allocated by Council in the 2018/19 Budget which was available to spend during the duration of this Council.

·         A further £3.4m from the Department for Transport.  £2.5m of which was already expected and had been included in initial budget planning, but the Council had gained an additional £0.9m on top of this.  This should also be spent during the 2018/19 financial year.

 

It was confirmed in the meeting that the Department for Transport had confirmed that the Council's entire Capital maintenance allocation for 2018/19 would be £30.1m which was in line with expectations.

 

A number of suggested treatments were outlined in the report for use of the additional funding and included:

·         Patching

·         Surface dressing and surface treatments

·         Thin surface course replacement

·         Residential streets

·         Recycling schemes

·         Retread

·         Road markings

·         First time fix pothole gangs

 

It was also reported that Lincolnshire was now rated as level 3 in all 22 areas which were assessed by the Department for Transport, and so there was no doubt that the authority would be maintaining the additional funding.

 

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present in relation to the information contained within the report and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:

·         It was queried whether a programme of work over the next three years would be produced, and members were advised that this would depend on what type of work was undertaken.

·         It was commented that the residential streets work would be relatively easy to measure up and procure so officers would be able to get a good price for the work.

·         It was commented that this was an extremely useful report.

·         It was clarified that 'fines' referred to the smaller size material that was added to the road surface mix and would help to hold the surface together.

·         One member commented that residents in his division were very grateful that potholes on a stretch of road had been fixed. 

·         Queries were raised regarding the use of plastics in the tarmac mix for roads, and it was noted that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 71.

72.

Lincolnshire Connected pdf icon PDF 161 KB

(To receive a report by Vanessa Strange, Accessibility and Growth Manager, which seeks to consider the movement needs of businesses, residents and visitors through the next three decades)

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report which informed members about the work on Lincolnshire Connected, which was an emerging think piece, looking at the future of mobility, transport, accessibility and connectivity in Lincolnshire.  Members were advised that Lincolnshire Connected sought to consider the movement needs of businesses, residents and visitors through the next three decades.  A document would be produced (anticipated December 2018) which would explore how the population may change over time, and consider how lives could be improved through evolving transport technology, connectivity and accessibility, as well as considering how prepared Lincolnshire was for these changes, opportunities and challenges, including what would need to be done to implement future requirements.

 

It was reported that issues such as decarbonisation of transport and artificial intelligence enabling driverless cars were the focus of growing national and international attention; however, a broader approach was being taken with themes including, but not limited to: energy; climate change; our environment; place shaping; public health; technology; the sharing economy; economic growth and productivity; education and skills; and rurality.

 

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present in relation to the information contained within the report and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:

·         What was most import was ensuring that Lincolnshire, as a rural county, was not left behind in terms of infrastructure, and ensuring that the county would be able to embrace any new forms of transport.

·         In terms of electric vehicles, it was queried what would happen in the event of a national power cut, and also what speeds would driverless cars be capable of reaching.  It was also queried what would happen for people who wanted to take these cars abroad, and whether all countries would have driverless cars.

·         Members were advised that it was likely that a cultural shift would be needed in order to accept some of the new technologies, and this would be an interesting factor to consider.  It was noted, that some of the technology highlighted in the report was not that far from being a reality, and there could be an interesting transition phase when there were both people and computers driving cars.

·         It was noted that there were as many positives as there were negatives or concerns regarding artificial intelligence.

·         In terms of driverless cars/car sharing opportunities, there would be a number of new issues to consider.

·         Concerns were raised regarding the capacity of the national grid as everything was being pushed towards electric.  One member commented they could not see the benefits of continually pushing people to use electric.  Members were advised that there was an awareness of the challenges around utilities.  Electric was not considered to be the only answer, and it was probable that larger vehicles would use a mix of fuels.  There were also discussions taking place regarding the opportunities around using waste to generate gas.  Members were advised that there were a number of big pieces of work which needed to be done  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72.

73.

Winter Maintenance - End of Year Report pdf icon PDF 96 KB

(To receive a report by Vincent van Doninck, Policy and Strategic Asset Manager, which invites the Committee to consider the performance of the Winter Maintenance Service)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report which set out the performance of the Winter Maintenance Service.  It was reported that it had been one of the most severe winters in recent years which had put increased strain on the service, and there had been further cold days since the middle of March, and therefore the costs outlined in the report would have increased.

 

Members were informed that 37,311 tonnes of salt had been used during this winter, and a further 10,000 tonnes had been ordered to refill the stocks of salt in line with the Council's policy.  At the time of writing the report, 117 gritting runs had been carried out.  It was noted that this was on track to match the winter of 2010/2011 in terms of severity.

 

(NOTE: Councillor R Grocock left the meeting at 12.15pm)

 

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present in relation to the information contained within the report and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:

·         It was commented that special thanks needed to go to those volunteers and farmers who went out in the bad weather to help others in difficult circumstances.  It was also noted that members felt that this sort of intervention needed to be encouraged.  Officers also highlighted that Darrell Redford, Network Resilience Manager, should receive a special mention as he worked tirelessly through the days when the snow was at its worst.

·         In relation to the proposal to procure new gritters rather than lease them, it was queried whether this was the most cost effective option.  Members were advised a piece of work on the cost-benefit of leasing verses buying had been carried out, and it was reported that the authority was able to borrow at a cheaper rate than long term leasing,  therefore it was more cost effective to buy.

·         It was commented that during the "Beast from the East" there was a considerable coming together of communities, for example 4x4 drivers taking people to work.  It was queried whether setting up a register of drivers willing to volunteer in these circumstances should be considered.  It was noted that an emergency planning room was set up during the severe weather, and this information was fed back to that room.  It was also noted that this was the sort of information which could be included in parish emergency plans.

·         It was commented that during bad weather, gritter drivers could be faced with very hazardous situations and it was important to pay tribute to them. 

·         It was important to keep hills clear during bad weather such as snow and ice, and it was suggested that articulated vehicles should not be allowed to use some roads due to the risk they posed to other vehicles if they got into difficulties and also the possibility that if these vehicles were involved in an accident it could make roads impassable for other traffic.

·         It was hoped that having a Network Resilience Plan would provide  ...  view the full minutes text for item 73.

74.

Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee Work Programme pdf icon PDF 111 KB

(To receive a report by Daniel Steel, Scrutiny Officer, which enables the Committee to consider and comment on the content of its work programme for the coming year to ensure that scrutiny activity is focused where it can be of greatest benefit)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report which enabled the Committee to comment on the content of its work programme for the coming year to ensure that scrutiny activity was focused where it can be of greatest benefit.

 

Members were advised of the following changes to the work programme:

·         Resilient Network Plan to be added to the 16 July 2018 meeting

·         Winter Maintenance report to the 10 September 2018 meeting.

 

Members were reminded that the next meeting would take place on 11 June 2018.

 

RESOLVED

 

            That the additional items listed above be added to the work programme.

 

 
 
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