Agenda and minutes

Resolved:- That the minutes of the previous meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Regeneration and Development, held on 18^th March, 2013, be approved as a correct record for signature by the Chairman.

Consideration was given to the minutes of a meeting of the Transport Liaison Group held on 20th March, 2013.

Resolved:-  That the contents of the minutes be noted.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Transportation and Highways Projects Manager concerning the comments and objections received from local residents and a bus operator about the proposal to install road humps at Laughton Road, Thurcroft. The report stated that the grant of planning permission to construct some 369 dwellings on land adjacent to Laughton Road, Thurcroft, had included a condition requiring the installation of traffic calming features on Laughton Road. Members noted that the Transport Assessment submitted by the developer had confirmed that the existing speed of traffic on Laughton Road was excessive and together with an increase in traffic as a result of the new development, some mitigation was required. The locations of the traffic calming features were shown on drawing No 126/17/TT219a submitted. The report highlighted the various objections received and the officers’ responses to those objections.

Members noted that the proposed traffic calming scheme is to be funded by the developer, in accordance with the agreement made under the provisions of Section 278 of the Highways Act 1980.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the objections be not acceded to.

(3) That the developer (Barratt/David Wilson Homes) be authorised to install road humps on Laughton Road, Thurcroft as shown on drawing No 126/17/TT219a now submitted.

(4) That the correspondents be informed accordingly.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Principal Finance Officer describing the performance against budget for the Environment and Development Services Directorate Revenue Accounts as at 28 February 2013. The report referred to the forecast outturn position of an overspend of £225,000 for the Environment and Development Services Directorate for the 2012/2013 financial year.

Members were informed of the pressures upon the Winter Maintenance budget, due to prolonged periods of inclement weather and noted that this budget is to be revised for 2013/14.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the latest financial projection against budget for the financial year 2012/13, based on actual income and expenditure to the end of February 2013, be noted.

(3) That the submitted report be referred to the Self Regulation Select Commission for information.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Transportation and Highways Projects Manager providing details of the Highways Capital Works programme for the 2013/14 financial year. Members noted that the level of funding for integrated transport schemes provided in 2013/14 will be the same as in 2012/13, although the funding for highways maintenance activity will be reduced.

The submitted report outlined the proposed areas of work for the financial year 2013/14, which are to be delivered from Department for Transport grants. The primary grant funding is the capital funding made available from Central Government for Integrated Transport and maintenance as part of the third Local Transport Plan.

Members heard that this Council, together with its South Yorkshire partners, has been successful in securing additional funding in the form of the ‘Better Bus Area Fund’ and the ‘Local Sustainable Travel Fund’. As with the Local Transport Plan funding, these additional grants have to be completed and claimed by March 2015, because there is no mechanism to continue works in financial year 2015/16.

The Local Transport Plan Integrated Transport programme is divided into five themed areas: (i) Bus Priority and Access improvements; (ii) Connectivity (walking and cycling); (iii) Local Safety; (iv) Traffic Management and (v) Smarter choices. The report included details of the types of scheme within each themed area and also included a summary of the highways maintenance programme 2013/14.

A summary listing of the proposed programme of highways capital works for Rotherham in 2013/14 (including the maintenance and structures programme) was appended to the submitted report.

Members were informed of:-

(i) the detail of the allocation of funding for highways maintenance, which had been altered as a consequence of Sheffield City Council having obtained Private Finance Initiative funding for such works in its area.

(ii) some alteration may happen, from time to time, to the highways maintenance works programme, as routine inspections reveal that a particular highway surface (ie: one not included in the 2013/14 programme) requires immediate maintenance for road safety reasons;

(iii) the implications of funding the A57 (Todwick) highways improvement scheme;

(iv) the priority to be given to bus priority measures, walking and cycling improvement works along the A633 from the Rotherham town centre to Parkgate and Rawmarsh;

(v) the proposal to install pedestrian crossing facilities at Main Street, Rotherham, immediately adjacent to the Police headquarters building and the Council’s Riverside House building;

(vi) the possibility of additional Local Transport Plan funding being available, after the half-yearly review of the use of this funding source (October 2013).

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the specific allocation of funding for Integrated Transport and highways maintenance for 2013/14 including the Local Sustainable Transport  Fund and the Better Bus Area Fund be noted.

(3) That the principle of the proposed programme of highways capital works, as included in Appendices A, B and C to the report now submitted, be approved as the basis  ...  view the full minutes text for item 117.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Transportation and Highways Projects Manager describing the progress and outcome of the Sustrans ‘Bike It’ project in Rotherham and recommending the continuation of the project.

The report stated that the ‘Bike It’ project began in Rotherham during April 2012 and has been operational in eleven primary schools and in one secondary school in the Rotherham Borough area since that time. In the first year, 2012/13, ‘Bike It’ received £50,000 funding from the Local Transport Plan ‘Quality of Life’ central budget (Minute No. 112 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Town Centres, Economic Growth and Prosperity held on 2^nd April, 2012 refers).

The project seeks to raise awareness of cycling, develop riding skills and encourage children to take action in their own lives. It aims to increase the number of school journeys undertaken by bicycle or by any other non-motorised means. Ultimately, the combined aim of ‘Bike It’ and other associated cycling initiatives in schools such as ‘Bikeability’ cycle training, is to encourage pupils and parents to accept cycling as a ‘life long’ alternative to car travel. Details of the participating schools were included in the submitted report and Members also received a copy of the Sustrans Interim December 2012 performance report for Rotherham. Similar schemes also operate in the Barnsley, Doncaster and Sheffield local authority areas.

As a result of the good progress made in the first year, several other primary schools have expressed interest in participating in the ‘Bike It’ project. Members noted that funding is available from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, in both the 2013/14 and the 2014/15 financial years, in order to continue the project. The continuing project will be able to include six additional schools in 2013/14.

Members were informed, however, that funding for the project is available from the Local Transport Plan fund, in 2013/14, because one of the other schemes is unable to proceed in this financial year.

The report stated that the Sustrans organisation is the sole provider of ‘Bike It’ type projects in the United Kingdom. Therefore, the recommendation is to approve an exemption from Standing Order 47.6.3 (requirement for contracts valued between £20,000 and £50,000) to facilitate the direct award of the ‘Bike It’ Contract for 2013/14 to Sustrans. It was noted that any further contract offered in 2014/15 will be subject to market testing and will be subject to tender if any competitors emerge who have developed products similar to the ‘Bike It’ project.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That funding of £50,000 from the Local Transport Plan fund be allocated to the Sustrans ‘Bike It’ project so that the project may continue during the 2013/2014 financial year, including the participation of additional schools as referred to in the report now submitted.

(3) That the associated contract with Sustrans, currently the sole provider of the ‘Bike It’ project, shall be exempt  ...  view the full minutes text for item 118.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Network Manager (Streetpride) concerning a proposal to increase the current charge levied by the Council for processing and implementing a Street Works License in accordance with the provisions of Section 50 of The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. Members noted the comparable level of charges being levied by neighbouring local authorities in the region.

The report also referred to the number of unauthorised skips/containers placed on Rotherham’s highways during the past year. Such items pose a risk because they are sometimes placed at locations which could be deemed dangerous for other road users, or may conflict with other programmed works in the highway. Members therefore considered the need to introduce a retrospective charge for the unauthorised placement of skips and containers in the highway, in order to improve highway safety and reduce disruption to other road users. It was noted that such a charge is consistent with the charge made for a street works site inspection under The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That, with effect from 1^st April, 2013:-

(a) the current charge of £300.00 for processing and implementing a Street Works License under Section 50 of The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 shall be increased to £450.00;  and

(b) a retrospective charge of £50.00 be levied upon persons/organisations who have placed unauthorised skips and containers on the highway.

(3) That an appropriate press release be issued about these charges.

Further to Minute No. G92 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Regeneration and Development held on 4^th February 2013, consideration was given to a report presented by the Transportation and Highways Projects Manager containing the suggested response to the Highways Agency’s consultation on the proposed Managed Motorways proposals affecting the M1 motorway between Junctions 28 and 31. The proposals involve the introduction of a new All Lane Running standard which converts the motorway’s ‘hard shoulder’ to a permanent running lane and the introduction of a variable mandatory speed limit.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted and endorsed.

(2) That approval be granted for this Council’s response to the consultation document, as now submitted, to be sent to the Highways Agency by the due deadline.

(nb: subsequent to this meeting and in view of the deadline for submission of responses to the consultation, The Mayor gave the necessary authorisation to exempt this decision from the Council’s call-in procedure)

Resolved:- That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 as amended (information relating to the financial/business affairs of any person (including the Council)).

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Principal Planning Officer proposing an exemption from Standing Order number 47.6.2 (relating to contracts valued at more than £5,000 but less than £20,000) to allow the appointment of the Civica company to continue to provide the back office functionality (FastPlanning, FastControl, FastCharges) for the Development Management, Building Control and Local Land Charges services. The report stated that this software has been used by all three of these Council services and the user licence is renewed annually.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That, for the reasons detailed in the report now submitted, approval be granted for an exemption from Standing Order 47.6.2 (requirement to invite at least two oral or written quotations for contracts with an estimated value of £5,000 but less than £20,000) to facilitate (i) the purchase of the back office functionality (FastPlanning, FastControl, FastCharges) from the Civica company and (ii) the annual renewal of the user licence.