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 2020 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.

The Authority was responsible for an extensive highway network and feedback from 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 2020 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 key highlights from the annual report were as follows:

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

•      The current total value of highway assets was £1,895,000,000 (£1.895 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 second cycle of cleansing and data gathering had been completed with data available on over 44,000 road gullies in North Tyneside.  The new gully cleansing regime had been rolled out in the summer of 2020 and gullies were now cleaned as needed rather than routinely visited.  This ensured better use of resources.

•      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.

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

•      Following the Authority’s declaration of a climate emergency plan, the Highways Service had been assisting in supporting this area of work.  For example, the Technical Services Partnership was now working with the road resurfacing supply chain to explore new products that would contribute to reducing the Authority’s carbon footprint.  Further detail was set out in Section 12.4 of the report.

There were no decision options set out for Cabinet’s consideration as the report was for information purposes only.

Resolved that the content of the North Tyneside Highway Asset Management Plan Annual Information Report 2020 be noted.