Agenda item

The Cabinet received a report from the Director of Environment and Transport which sought approval for the Environment and Transport 2019/20 Highways Capital Programme and the Highways and Transportation Work Programme.  A copy of the report, marked “Agenda Item 8”, is filed with these minutes.

 

Mr. Pain CC commended officers for the quantity of projects included within the programme despite budgetary pressures; this was the largest capital programme that had been worked on by the Department.  He said that he had recently attended the House of Commons where he had raised the need for a longer term funding certainty from the Government to programme maintenance and preventative work more efficiently and that it would help Highway Authorities if grant funding could be consolidated so that funding invested to scope out the case for each bid was not wasted if the bid was unsuccessful.

 

RESOLVED:

 

a)    That the Environment and Transport 2019/20 Highways Capital Programme and the Highways and Transportation Work Programme be approved;

 

b)    That the Director of Environment and Transport, following consultation with the Director of Corporate Resources and the Cabinet Lead Member for Environment and Transport, be authorised to make minor amendments to the 2019/20 Highways Capital Programme and Highways and Transportation Work Programme;

 

c)    That £6m be allocated from reserves to support and develop the advance infrastructure design for schemes in the County set out in paragraphs 36 to 38 of the report, all focused on new or accelerated housing delivery and provision of new employment, with the following two schemes being prioritised:-

 

(i)     The A511/A50 Growth Corridor as the Council’s Major Road Network priority for delivery from 2020 to 2025;

 

(ii)    The M1 Junction 20a scheme, which has been submitted for the current round of Large Local Majors Funding;

 

d)    That the Director of Environment and Transport, following consultation with the Director of Corporate Resources and the Cabinet Lead Members for Environment and Transport and Corporate Resources, be authorised to prepare and submit bids, as appropriate, to secure external funding for delivery of schemes identified in the Highways Capital Programme;

 

e)    That the Director of Environment and Transport, following consultation with the Director of Corporate Resources, the Director of Law and Governance and the Cabinet Lead Member for Corporate Resources, be authorised to enter into such contracts as is necessary to progress schemes in the approved Highways Capital Programme to allow Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) to take place in advance of all external funding required to deliver the scheme being in place, subject to:-

 

(i)     The contract referring to an approved scheme (i.e. one set out in the Highways Capital Programme or Medium Term Financial Strategy).

 

(ii)    The Director of Environment and Transport and Director of Corporate Resources being satisfied that funding partners are able to provide the necessary contributions including cost of ECI Stage 1 should the scheme not proceed to Stage 2.

 

(iii)   The value of the contract at Stage 1 being within the amount covered by existing delegations to the Director of Environment and Transport and Director of Corporate Resources.

 

(iv)   The Director of Environment and Transport following consultation with the Director of Corporate Resources will only authorise proceeding to Stage 2 (construction stage) where the scheme is approved and funding is in place. 

 

(KEY DECISION)

 

REASONS FOR DECISION:

 

To approve the Environment and Transport Department’s Highways Capital Programme and Highways and Transportation Work Programme for the 2019/20 financial year and to enable these to be published in April 2019.

 

Both programmes may need minor revisions to respond to changing circumstances and to ensure optimal use of resources throughout the financial year.

 

To enable the delivery of large capital schemes using a collaborative approach to work with contractors to reduce risk and increase cost certainty.  Working in this way will also provide necessary assurance to partners and third party funders contributing to the cost of delivering the Highways Capital Programme.

 

The allocation of an additional £6m and the delegations to the Director of Environment and Transport will enable the Environment and Transport Department to continue a proactive approach and to be responsive to opportunities to develop significant transport projects to support economic and housing growth.