Meeting documents

Apologies were received from Mr S Bowles.

To disclose any personal or disclosable pecuniary interests.

There were none.

Of the meeting held on 17 July 2017 to be agreed as an accurate record.

The minutes were confirmed as an accurate record of the meeting.

For the Chairman of the Committee to provide an update to the Committee on recent scrutiny related activity.

The Chairman welcomed Mrs L Clarke, OBE back to Committee having recovered from an injury.

The Chairman thanked Ms K Wager for her support to the Committee.

This is an opportunity for members of the public to put a question or raise an issue of concern, related to Environment, Transport and Locality Services.   Where possible, the relevant organisation to which the question/issue is directed will be present to give a verbal response.  Members of the public will be invited to speak for up to four minutes on their issue.  A maximum of 30 minutes is set aside for the Public Questions slot in total (including responses and any Committee discussion). This may be extended with the Chairman’s discretion. 

For full guidance on Public Questions, including how to register a request to speak during this slot, please follow this link:

http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/about-your-council/scrutiny/getting-involved/

There were none.

Following concerns raised by residents about traffic management issues across the county caused by works being carried out to prepare for the construction of HS2, the Cabinet Member and Lead Officers will be attending to provide a verbal update on HS2 Ltd and their contractors and the role and position of the Council.

Contributors:

Mark Shaw, Cabinet Member for Transportation

Martin Dickman, Environmental Services Director

Laura Leech, HS2 Programme Manager

The Chairman welcomed the Cabinet Member and his Officers and invited them to provide their update.

In response to a number of resident and Member concerns raised about traffic issues caused as a result of HS2 Ltd.’s exploratory investigations which had started, the Cabinet Member presented a verbal update statement to the Committee on High Speed 2. The statement read as follows:

"The HS2 Act provides powers for HS2 Ltd (and its contractors) to interfere temporarily with any highway in order to carry out the Phase 1 works.  These powers are known as "Temporary interference" and are set out in paragraph 6 of Schedule 4 to the Act.  The powers allow HS2 Ltd. to stop up, alter or divert the highway, divert traffic from it or prevent persons passing along it, break up or interfere with it or temporarily remove street furniture.  In exercising these powers, HS2 Ltd. must provide reasonable access for pedestrians to or from premises abutting the highway.

Where the highway is listed in Table 3 of Part 4 of Schedule 4 to the Act, HS2 Ltd is required to consult the highway authority with respect to public safety and convenience before the power is exercised.

Where the highway is not listed within Table 3 (of the HS2 Act), then the consent of the highway authority is required. Consent cannot be unreasonably withheld. 

In both cases, HS2 Ltd and its contractors consult with the Council and other key stakeholders through the local Traffic Liaison Group meetings, which have been established along the whole of the HS2 Phase 1 route to facilitate such engagement.

There are environmental controls in place to ensure that the impacts of construction are minimised, as far as reasonably practicable. In addition, HS2 Ltd and its contractors are required to comply with any Undertakings and Assurances given by the Secretary of State to Parliament as the Bill progressed through Parliament during petitioning.

We continue to work closely with HS2 Ltd and its contractors to ensure that all interference with the highway is appropriate, safe and minimises impacts on road users, as far as reasonably practicable, whilst recognising that Parliament has determined that the scheme must proceed.

The legislation allows for disputes between HS2 Ltd and the highways authority to be heard at arbitration if the parties agree or, failing that, must be determined by the Secretary of State. 

The Council will use this course of action as and when it considers it is necessary.

The Council has not and will not compromise on the safety of road users. Congestion and delay are inevitable consequences of a construction project of this magnitude; however, the Council will use its limited powers to ensure as far as is reasonably practicable that the scheme is not prejudicial to users of the county road network".

Following the Cabinet Member’s statement, Member questions and the resulting discussions raised the following points:

• Communication and engagement with HS2 Ltd: Members heard that the Council worked closely with HS2 Ltd and the Main  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Members will review the Council's current policy, approach and performance in relation to street and footway lighting, with a focus on the fixing of defects.

Contributors:

Mark Shaw, Cabinet Member for Transportation

Mark Averill, Head of Highways (Client)

David Stewart, Operations Manager (TfB)

Phil Lain, Street Lighting Manager

The Cabinet Member and supporting officers introduced the item and provided Members with an overview of the report.

The full overview can be viewed on the webcast alongside the supporting paper within the agenda pack.

The following points were made during the overview:

• There had been a significant reduction in complaints on street lighting over the past year.
• Performance indicators had all improved over the last year.
• There were 35,000 street lights in Buckinghamshire.
• Bucks had moved to an LED street lighting strategy which had produced the savings hoped for.
• By the end of the year all the old SOX orange lights would have been replaced with LED lamps.
• TfB were also doing a lamp column replacement programme.
• The biggest challenge was electricity supply issues – this could cause significant delays to street lights being fixed.
• Solar powered lamps were being used as temporary solutions whilst defects were being fixed.
• The budget of £2.8 m also had to cover the SALIX (LED lamps) loan repayments. There was £600,000 in the budget for repairs. Repairs were currently prioritised based on reporting of defects.
• The LED lamp replacement capital programme was almost complete.
• Responsibility for columns caused difficulty.
• Lots of activity was focussed on the lamp, but not on the columns, the life profile of a column asset was 25 years, however our current columns were at 40 years.

Member questions and the resulting discussion raised the following points:

• Statutory Responsibility: There was no statutory responsibility to provide light; the council had a power to provide light where it was deemed necessary for safety reasons. It had a duty to maintain minimum standards where lighting was put in place.
• Ownership and responsibility of street and footway lighting: Members asked about whether there was an accurate picture of ownership and responsibility for different street and footway lamps that Members and residents could have access to. Members were told that "Fix My Street" has all the County Council owned street lamps on, but not those provided and owned by parish, district and town councils. It was hoped that this information would be gathered within the next couple of years. Members were also told that every visit the crews did, they had been re numbering the street lights, by the end of the year, every light that had been worked on would have been re numbered.
• Street Lighting Maps: Members suggested that information on the ownership and responsibility of all street and footway lighting should be mapped and recorded, and made accessible to Members and the public to enable accurate reporting of defects and to manage public expectations around responsibility for lighting within their areas. This could be made accessible on "Fix my Street". This should include a summary of the authorities who own the lighting within each area.

·         Devolution of footway lighting: Members were told that the Council were looking to devolve more to parish councils for the fixing of defects. The County Council would have responsibility for maintaining highways lighting. Footway lighting  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The Committee will review and assess the progress towards the implementation of the Committee recommendations made within the inquiry report, as agreed by Cabinet in April 2017.

Contributors:

Mark Shaw, Cabinet Member for Transportation

Joan Hancox, Head of Transport Strategy

James Silvester, Transport Strategy Manager

The Chairman welcomed the Cabinet Member for Transportation, Mr M. Shaw, Ms J Hancox, Head of Transport Strategy, Mr J Silvester Transport Strategy Manager and Ms P Campbell-Balcombe, Schools Commissioning Manager.

The Cabinet Member gave a brief overview of the progress towards implementation of the Committee’s Inquiry recommendations. This can be viewed on the webcast in full, but included the following points:

• There had been issues with dedicated resource to drive this work forward after the experienced officer left 18 months ago. There had been a graduate in post, but this person had also left.
• The vacancy was about to be advertised again for a full time person to come into post to drive this work. The school crossing patrol manager was currently covering this work and they had experienced difficulties filling the post over the last 18 months.
• The Cabinet Member agreed that this was still a very important area of work and that the Council should still be encouraging walking and cycling.
• There was more that could be done to make walking and cycling routes safer to use.

The discussion highlighted that due to resourcing issues  some of the recommendations not being progressed as much as they should have been. Members asked questions and had some discussion around particular issues within the recommendations; however, the Committee recognised that without resource the work could not be driven forward.

The full discussion can be viewed on the webcast.

Areas that were discussed through Member questions included:

• Resource Issues: Members sought reassurance that all steps had been taken to successfully recruit to the post of school travel planner. Members were concerned about how the council would deliver this work without resource. Members were told that last year a graduate had been recruited and trained but this time candidates with a wider range of experience were sought
• Vision for the service: Members asked whether this was still a priority area and if work would be picked up and taken forward. The Cabinet Member told Members that as a service they felt it was vitally important, especially as the county grows.
• Members were very concerned that there was a policy and inquiry recommendations but that there had been no  one to deliver it and that 18 months since the inquiry recommendations were accepted, progress was lacking..
• Budget and Public Health: Members asked whether public health contributed to the resource for sustainable school travel, given the significant links to improved health. Members were told that there had not been any discussion on this to date, but that the Cabinet Member would value having those discussions.
• Need for accurate maps for walking routes: Members raised concern that the maps sent to school did not take into account where footpaths had been closed due to works taking place, without informing schools and parents. The Service agreed that more could be done to make sure that at the beginning of term they informed schools and parents if walking routes were disrupted.
• Recommendation 3 - Planning permission for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Members noted the committee work programme and agreed they would like to invite HS2 Ltd to a future meeting to question them following concerns raised during the update at this meeting.  

The next meeting will be held on 6 November 2018, in the Mezzanine Room 1, County Hall.

The next meeting will be held on the 6 November 2018, in Mezzanine Room 1, County Hall.