City of York Council (Logo)

Meeting:

Executive Member for Economy and Transport Decision Session

Meeting date:

19 July 2024

Report of:

James Gilchrist, Director of Environment, Transport and Planning

Portfolio of:

Councillor Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport


Decision Report: Response to the petitions to resurface Foxwood Lane and Corlett Court


Subject of Report

 

1.           This report considers two petitions entitled – ‘Resurface Foxwood Lane’ and ‘Resurface Corlett Court’, the petitions were both presented by Cllr Waller at Full Council on the 21st March 2024 and were signed by 267 and 34 residents respectively. Details of the petitions are included at Annex A of this report.

 

2.           This report details the highway condition data for both roads and the potential need for repair or renewal works, recommendations are made to support the Executive Member’s response to the petitions.

 

Benefits and Challenges

 

3.           The recommendations made are based on existing highway asset management practices. The annual Highways maintenance programme utilises asset inspection, survey and condition data to initially assess how funding should be targeted. This is prioritised further in response to ongoing feedback from communities, businesses, elected members, partner organisations and utility providers amongst others.

 

4.           This is in adherence with national best practice in the development of a balanced and targeted highway asset management service. As such these are the only recommendations that can be put before the Executive Member.

 

 

Policy Basis for Decision

 

5.           The development of highway maintenance schemes reflects the four core ‘EACH’ commitments in the Council Plan 2023-27 – One City For All by:

 

·        Equalities and Human Rights – by utilising highway asset data in a nationally consistent manner our works programme has been developed to reflect best practice amongst highways practitioners and does not have any intentional or unintentional bias built into it’s aims and outcomes.

·        Affordability – the utilisation of appraisal and assurance approaches outlined in the Well Managed Highway Infrastructure code of practice ensures that the available budget is used in a risk based and effective way.

·        Climate & Environment – the Highways maintenance teams utilise new vehicles and plant, including electric vehicles, we recycle aggregates and other materials during repair and renewal works. Investment in highway infrastructure is essential to mitigate the impacts of extreme weather. Trials of resilient and effective maintenance practices by maintenance teams are essential to evolve our services to a changing climate.

·        Health and Wellbeing – the work of Highways maintenance teams ensure all pedestrians, cyclists and vehicle users can safely travel around the highway network in our city. Active travel networks are essential in providing all users the opportunity to exercise and explore our urban and natural spaces that provide a wide range of health and wellbeing benefits.

 

Financial Strategy Implications

 

6.           The Highway Asset Maintenance teams deliver annual works programmes to budgets approved by Council, the current budget was approved on 23rd March 2024. The Highway Asset Management service is provided in accordance with the prescribed budgets, all schemes have been developed utilising national best practice appraisal and assurance methods and reflect a balanced and risk-based delivery of available funding.

 

Recommendation and Reasons

 

Resurface Foxwood Lane

Based on our highway condition assessments Foxwood Lane is broken down into multiple lengths due to it’s length. Potential schemes ranked 199, 256, 258 and 380 out of 434 resurfacing schemes. Patching schemes ranked between 1482 and 2925 out of 3162 schemes across the city. As such no works are likely to be included on the capital programme in the next 5 years, however, this is based on current annual inspection data, this priority may change in line with future inspection data if the road condition deteriorates further. Foxwood lane is included in a long list for surface dressing works subject to preparation work in 2025 and surface dressing in 2026 if the scheme progresses.

 

7.           It is recommended to the Executive Member that due to the condition and the priority of an intervention no action will be taken in terms of the scheduled highway maintenance programme at this stage.

 

Resurface Corlett Court

Based on our highway condition assessments Corlett Court ranked 689 out of 3162 schemes/sites for large patching works and as such is not likely to be included on the capital programme in the next 5 years, however, this is based on current annual inspection data, this priority may change in line with future inspection data if the road condition deteriorates further. It was not identified for any other candidate schemes.

 

8.           It is recommended to the Executive Member that due to the condition and the priority of an intervention no action will be taken in terms of the scheduled highway maintenance programme at this stage.

 

Reason: The council has a backlog of maintenance and limited funding, therefore difficult decisions must be made to prolong the life of assets. Asset management underpins our decision making.

 

 

 

 

Background

 

9.           A number of petitions were submitted to the Council at the Full Council meeting on the 21st March 2024. Details of each petition is included in Annex A.

 

10.        The prioritisation of Highway Maintenance renewal and resurfacing projects is subject to an annual condition survey and the assessment of other factors including the usage of the highway, local amenities and wider reports of issues which provide a ranking for each street to determine their need for maintenance works. The highest ranked streets are then prioritised and the annual programme is developed to deliver schemes within the available funding for that year.

 

11.        In addition to the planned renewal works, reactive basic maintenance repair works are carried out. This is funded separately to the planned programme of works and is carried out in response to routine safety or reactive inspections following complaints. Defects that justify a response in accordance with our Highway Safety Inspection Manual are scheduled for repair based on safety critical timescales.

 

Consultation Analysis

 

12.        The annual Highways maintenance programme utilises asset inspection, survey and condition data to initially assess how funding should be targeted. This is prioritised further in response to ongoing feedback from communities, businesses, elected members, partner organisations and utility providers amongst others. This is in adherence with national best practice in the development of a balanced and targeted highway asset management service.

 

13.        In addition to ongoing consultation and feedback the Highways Asset maintenance teams develop schemes and programmes of works that are scrutinised in public via the Executive member for Transport Decision sessions and are appraised and assured through the work of the Transport Board.



 

Options Analysis and Evidential Basis

 

14.        The Well Managed Highway Infrastructure code of practice produced by the Chartered Institute of Highways & Transportation is recognised as best practice across the industry. Highways Authorities develop programmes in adherence to its recommendations, incentivisation funding has been allocated where best practice has been adopted.

 

15.        The recommendations detailed in this report have been developed in accordance with wider scheme appraisal and prioritisation methods informed by the code of practice the CYC Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan and Highway Safety Inspection Manual which were approved by Executive. As such the recommendations are presented as the only option.

 

Organisational Impact and Implications

 

16.         

·                    Financial

 

There are no financial implications arising from the recommendations in this report.  No action will be taken in terms of the scheduled highway maintenance programme at this stage. The council has set aside £8.2m in 2024/25 Capital Programme as part of maintenance of Highways. Future years allocations will be approved in annual budget considerations.

 

·                    Human Resources (HR)

 

There are no HR implications in this report.

 

·                    Legal

 

Under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, the Council has a duty to maintain those adopted highways that it is responsible for to a safe and satisfactory standard for the purposes of ordinary traffic but not further or otherwise.

 

Our legal duty is delivered through the planned renewal and reactive repair works detailed in paragraphs 10 and 11.

 

·                    Procurement

 

There are no Procurement implications in this report.

 

·                    Health and Wellbeing

 

Whilst prioritising and investing in the maintenance of highways is crucial for safeguarding and promoting public health, acknowledging current funding pressures and the need to prioritise, Public Health support the proposed response.

 

·                    Environment and Climate action

 

Resurfacing works have the potential to increase carbon emissions through the embodied carbon of the infrastructure, through the construction phase and from eventual disposal.

Not taking action will avoid these emissions.

It is expected that the impacts of climate change will put greater pressure on highway assets. When considering maintenance and resurfacing works, resilience to extreme temperatures and weather events should be considered as part of the design.

 

·                    Affordability

 

There are no Affordability implications in this report.

 

·                    Equalities and Human Rights

 

No EIA has been developed to support the recommended decisions, as detailed in paragraph 14 and 15 of this report, the annual highways maintenance programme has been developed to adhere to national best practice using highway asset data gathered by trained operatives. As such no intentional or unintentional bias has been built into the programme.

 

·                    Data Protection and Privacy

 

As there is no personal data, special categories of personal data or criminal offence data being processed, there is no requirement to complete a data protection impact assessment (DPIA).   This is evidenced by completion of DPIA screening questions AD-05973.

 

·                    Communications

 

There are no Communication implications in this report.

 

·                    Economy

 

There are no Economy implications in this report.


Risks and Mitigations

 

17.        This report details the recommendations for additional highways works to be developed at Foxwood Lane and Corlett Court as requested by the petitioners. As detailed in paragraphs 14 and 15 of this report, highways maintenance programmes are developed to adhere to national best practice using highway asset data gathered by trained operatives. As such a risk based approach is inherent in the methodologies and appraisal tools that have formulated the works programme.

 

Wards Impacted

 

18.        Westfield.

 

Contact details

 

For further information please contact the authors of this Decision Report.

 

Author

 

Name:

Steve Wragg

Job Title:

Head of Highway Asset Management

Service Area:

Highway Asset Management

Telephone:

07767 318116

Report approved:

Yes/No

Date:

31/05/2024


Annexes

Annex A – Details of Petitions

Annex A