Agenda item

11.1

The East Community Assembly has an overall budget of £110,799 available for ‘local highway schemes’ in 2012/13, as part of devolving decisions and priorities on local issues and improving the responsiveness of the Council to meeting local requests.  The East Community Assembly has already agreed a list of schemes for implementation in 2011/12, and it is intended to continue and complete schemes in the current financial year.The report now submitted contains an update on the actual progress of the limited number of schemes that can be afforded within the current budget. 

11.2

Decision Taken

RESOLVED: That the East Community Assembly:-

(a)     notes the current budgetary position regarding funding availability (£110,779);

(b)     notes and approves the cost of the feasibility study at Duke Street (estimated cost £2,000);

(c)     notes the progress being made with the scheme on East Bank Road and approves the officer recommendation that the budget for the full scheme is allocated from the 2012/13 funds (Total £92,000);

(d)     notes and approves the further rotation of the Speed Indication Devices in 2012/13 (Total £3,494);

(e)     confirms that a sum of £5,000 per Ward be allocated for small highway schemes to be constructed in 2012/13;

(f)      agrees to note and later review the over-programming of commitments in the 2012/13 financial year.  (£110,799 v £117,494);

(g)     notes Members’ frustrations that the bus gate at Duke Street was still not open 24 hours a day, and requests that this be made a priority for the 2012 work programme;

(h)     thanks John Bann for his many years’ excellent service as Highways Link Officer for the East Community Assembly, and

(i)      welcomes Andrew McKie as the new Highways Link Officer for the East Community Assembly.

11.3

Reasons for the Decision

The East Community Assembly supports and funds highways schemes at the locations of the highest number of child accidents. The Community Assembly and Transport and Highways teams, in discussion with Ward Members, have analysed the requests from local residents and undertaken some preliminary feasibility work on a provisional list of potential projects. This work has enabled the identification of a list of schemes, which were largely delivered in 2011/12, and, with the budget now identified, can be implemented in 2012/13.

11.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

The programme of local highway schemes can be updated and added to as the year progresses, reflecting new priorities identified by local people. The full list of requests for local highway schemes in the East Community Assembly can be found in a new Register, now available on the Council’s website. This register will act as the central source of all requests for projects which will be assessed by Transport and Highways staff for feasibility and then provides the basis for selecting future schemes in partnership with the local community and reflecting the Assembly’s Community Plan. Consultation with local residents on individual schemes will continue to be an important way of looking at specific problems within approved schemes. Each of the schemes now submitted for approval will be the subject of a separate detailed public consultation process, as part of the normal design process, to ensure local people are comfortable with the proposals and to address anything else that arises.