Agenda item

To consider an annual information report outlining the highway and infrastructure work undertaken over the last 12 months, future planned work activities, and other items of relevant interest.

Cabinet received the North Tyneside Highway Asset Management Plan (HAMP) 2017-2032 Annual Information Report 2019 which summarised the work undertaken to demonstrate progress against delivery of performance of the Highway Management Plan during the past 12 months, future planned work activities and other items of relevant interest.

North Tyneside Council was responsible for an extensive highway network and feedback from its residents had consistently told the Authority that the maintenance of roads and footpaths was a top priority.

In September 2017, Cabinet had adopted a new HAMP 2017 - 2032, setting out the Authority’s approach to maintaining North Tyneside’s highways and responding to the Elected Mayor and Cabinet’s policy direction which included providing a greater emphasis on footways.  The  HAMP included a commitment to provide Cabinet with an annual information report outlining progress and key issues associated with the maintenance of the Authority’s public highway network.   

Currently the highway maintenance activities delivered through the HAMP were funded through a number of funding streams.  Capital work was funded by the annual Local Transport Plan Maintenance Block and in recent years additional funding had been invested through the Authority’s Investment Plan.

The HAMP Annual Information Report 2019 would be used as the basis for ongoing consideration around the challenges of maintaining the highway network. The report was aimed at supporting those considerations so that any decisions about potential changes in highway maintenance priorities and resources could be made in an informed manner.

The following key highlights could be drawn from the annual report:

•      The highway network was the most valuable asset in the Authority’s ownership. 

•      The current total value of highway assets was £1,832,000,000 (£1.832 billion).

•      The successful implementation of the HAMP policy and investment strategy was demonstrating that the ongoing application of highway asset management principles by the Authority was gradually improving the condition of the road network. 

•      The continued additional capital investment being funded directly by the Authority in highway maintenance was gradually improving the overall condition of the network in line with HAMP principles, as illustrated by the current “Road Condition Indicator” calculation results set out in the Information Report. 

•      The Technical Services Partnership had introduced new technology to measure silt levels in gully pots which would inform a new risk-based approach to gully cleansing.  The first cycle of cleansing and data gathering had been completed with data available on over 44,000 road gullies in North Tyneside.  A new gully cleansing strategy would be developed on completion of the second cycle of cleansing and data collection.  The second cycle was due to be completed in October.  The team would involve Elected Members in the development of the new risk-based gully cleansing strategy in order to compare the data with their experience.

•      The Technical Services Partnership continued to achieve and exceed its KPI targets and through its Annual Service Plan was identifying innovative ways of working, service improvements and efficiencies.

•      How the Authority spent its allocated funding needed to be carefully balanced across the Authority’s highway network.

•      Continued customer engagement was providing better intelligence on the public’s priorities for the Authority’s highway maintenance efforts. These included continuing the  improvements of residential and strategic roads and footways and improving the gully cleaning service.

•      Following the publication of the revised national code of practice, Well-managed Highway Infrastructure, the Technical Partnership had completed the work of producing a new risk-based highway inspection policy.  This had been approved by Cabinet in October 2018 and had now become embedded in operational procedures.

•      The Authority had delivered all programmed highway asset improvement schemes to date.

Resolved that the content of the North Tyneside Highway Asset Management Plan Annual Information Report 2019 be noted.