Agenda item

A copy of the Executive Summary of the Final Report of the Best Value Review Panel has been sent to all Members of the County Council and to the Press.  For additional copies of Executive Summary, the Full Report, or the Appendices and Figures to the Report, please contact Committee Services (tel: 0116 265 6225).

 

The Highways, Transportation and Waste Management Scrutiny Committee is considering this report at its meeting on 19^th June.  Their views will be reported at the meeting.

The Commission considered:-

 

a)                 The Executive Summary of the Review;

 

b)                 The comments of the Highways, Transportation and Waste Management Scrutiny Committee which enclosed an explanatory note from the Chief Executive and Acting Director of Planning and Transportation on liaison with elected members on highway matters;

 

c)                  The following letters:-

 

·        Letter from the Leader and Chief Executive of Charnwood Borough Council;

 

·        Letter from the Leader of Harborough District Council;

 

·        Letter from the Chief Executive of Oadby and Wigston Borough Council;

 

·        Letter from the Manager of Technical and Contracting Support at North West Leicestershire District Council;

 

·        Letter from the County Council’s Acting Director of Planning and Transportation in response to the letter from the Chief Executive of Oadby and Wigston Borough Council;

 

·        Letter from the Trade Union representative.

 

Copies of these documents are filed with these minutes.

 

RESOLVED

 

The Cabinet be advised:-

 

a)                 That the Commission notes the comments of the Highways, Transportation and Waste Management Scrutiny Committee and supports its request to have a role in monitoring the progress of the implementation plan;

 

b)                 That the Commission supports the findings of the Review Panel and considers the Review Panel report a professional, well presented and well argued case for change;

 

c)                  That in endorsing the recommendations of the Panel, the Commission would wish to draw particular attention to:-

 

i)                   recommendation 25 which refers to the development of a Local Highways Service Charter which it considers is an important document  which should inform members of the public of the service standards they should expect;

 

ii)                 recommendation 61 which proposes the sponsorship of roundabouts, the scope of which it considers should be broadened to enable sponsorship of other suitable landscaped areas on highways;

 

iii)               the potential for the proposed Integrated Model of service delivery in improving recruitment and retention of skilled and suitably qualified highways staff;

 

d)                 That the Commission, in noting the wide variation in service provision and user satisfaction outlined in the Review Report, accepts the view taken by the Panel that there is a need for developing consistent standards of service across the County and considers that the new policy should seek to address areas of weakness and raise the overall level of service provision;

 

e)                 That the Commission welcomes the proposals to develop District based Local Highways Forums for members of County and District Councils (similar to the present Harborough Highways Partnership) along the lines outlined in the explanatory note from the Chief Executive and Acting Director of Planning and Transportation on liaison with elected members on highway matters;

 

f)                    That in the process of establishing the new District based Local Highways Forums, the Commission is of the view that within the overall framework outlined in the review report and explanatory note, there should be some flexibility so as to take account of local factors and to address the following points identified by the Commission:-

 

i)                   that District Councils should be encouraged to bring ‘something to the table’ in the form of staffing or financial resources or the sharing of some their statutory functions and that this should be a factor in determining the scope/remit of the Forum in any area;

 

ii)                 that consideration should be given, where appropriate, to inviting Quality Parish and Town Councils to participate;

 

iii)               that given that the highways service provision is the responsibility of the County Council the chair of the Forum should be a County Councillor and that County Council officers should undertake the servicing of the Forum.