Agenda item

To consider an update on Highways and Transport acitivities within the Council’s Highways Alliance with WSP and Balfour Beatty Living Places.

The Committee considered a report, Agenda pages13 to 18, which provided an update on highways and transport activities and initiatives within the Highways Alliance (Wokingham Borough Council, WSP and Balfour Beatty Living Places). Alex Deans (Highways and Transport Transition Lead) and Chris Bowring (Executive Member for Highways and Transport) attended the meeting to answer Member questions.

The report focussed on a number of issues including:

·           Highways asset management;

·           Checks and balances to ensure that roadworks were delivered to the correct specification and quality standard;

·           Highways England Smart Motorway project acoustic barriers;

·           M4/J10 improvement works to improve traffic flows and reduce congestion.

The report stated that the Highways Alliance had focussed on improving the quality of reactive works (patching and potholes), improving the delivery of highways projects and customer communication and service. The current contractual arrangements with WSP and Balfour Beatty were due to end in March 2019. In the meantime, a review of Highways and Transport was under way as part of the 21^st Century Council programme. The outcomes from the review would be incorporated into the new Highways and Transport contracts.

The report also gave details of stakeholder workshops held to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the service. The workshops, involving Members and Town and Parish Councils, were useful in identifying key local issues and priorities over the next 20 years. Issues raised included the impact of new housing, traffic congestion, air quality, health and wellbeing and alternatives to the car.

During the subsequent discussion the following points were made:

·           What penalties could the Council impose on utility companies when roadworks were not completed on time? It was confirmed that Officers met with the utility companies to co-ordinate projects. However, emergency works could be necessary and these could not be co-ordinated in advance. Good communication and management of expectations were important. A further briefing session on communication was being arranged for Members later in 2017.

·           What works were being undertaken at Junction 10 of the M4? It was confirmed that major bridge maintenance works were being carried out and that Highways England was the client.

·           When would new performance indicators, linked to 21^st Century Council, be introduced and reported to Members? It was confirmed that new performance measures were being designed to address high level issues identified in the Council’s visioning work and operational matters such as response times. An update would be provided to Members at the communications briefing later in the year. Members emphasised the need for more up to date information as part of the new performance management regime.

·           Members queried the response time for the Highways for Members Inbox service. Had the response time been increased from 48 hours to five days? It was confirmed that the Highways for Members service had originally been set up with a five day response time and this had not changed. Members requested clarification on response times and the route to be followed for other issues e.g. emergencies.

RESOLVED That:

1)     the improvements to Highways and Transport services and customer service, outlined in the report, be noted;

2)     Officers provide an update on the new performance management regime at the Member communications briefing to be held later in 2017;

3)     Officers circulate information to all Members clarifying the response time for the Highways for Members Inbox and the process to follow when reporting other highways issues such as emergencies.