Agenda item

Further to Minute No. 15 of the meeting of the Improving Places Select Commission held on 25th July, 2012, consideration was given to a report presented by the Director of Streetpride describing the effectiveness of the new method of highway maintenance and repairing of potholes and defects using the ‘Multihog’ milling machine.

The report outlined the main benefits of undertaking highway repairs with the ‘Multihog’:-

: health and safety improvements for employees;

: financial savings, because the cost of repairs is reduced;

: the unnecessary removal of highway surfacing, around the repair area, is prevented;

: the ‘Multihog’ is small enough to be transported quickly and easily between locations and is capable of repairing defects in areas inaccessible to larger machinery;

: as well as highway repairs, the machine is used for Winter maintenance and salt spreading.

The report also described the revised arrangements for safety defect repairs to highways.

Members asked various questions on the following issues:-

: the pilot scheme began in November 2012, although trials of the machine have been hampered by the relatively prolonged period of snowfall; the recent years of bad weather has caused deterioration of highway surfaces;

: the trial is continuing and comparative information is still being collected about highway repairs before and after use of the ‘Multihog’;

: it was agreed that Members should be afforded the opportunity to observe the ‘Multihog’ in operation in their own Wards; Members requested details of the projected use of the machine around the Borough area; and Members were requested to inform Streetpride if they wished to observe the ‘Multihog’ machine in use;

: the machine specialises in repairing small patches of highway surface, but is not suitable for larger, more substantial areas;

: emphasis was placed on the need for highway surface repairs to be completed quickly, for reasons of safety;

: the various methods of highway surface inspection and repair and their budget implications were explained; Members noted that the existing highway repair budget was limited;

: Members requested information about the cost of ‘repeat’ repairs, ie: instances where an initial repair to a highway surface is unsuccessful and has to be repaired again;

: it was acknowledged that it is sometimes a fairly difficult task to ascertain which roads require priority repairs; this process is responsive to reports received from the general public and from Councillors;

: it was explained that the surface dressing method (ie: the use of tar and stone chippings) was an unsuitable method of highway repair in residential areas, in part because of the problem caused by loose chippings.

: it was also noted that the ‘Multihog’ machine has proved to be very useful for snow clearing in areas where access is restricted.

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

(2) That a report on the progress of the use of the ‘Multihog’ milling machine be submitted to a meeting of the Improving Places Select Commission in September, 2013 and such report shall include the following details:-:

: a financial appraisal of the use of the machine;

: information about the number of potholes being repaired and the repeat repairs;

: explanations of the criteria for each type of highway surface repair; and

: comparative information and costs with the methods of highway repair utilised before acquisition of the ‘Multihog’ machine.

(3) That Elected Members be informed of the proposed schedule of use of the ‘Multihog’ milling machine, throughout the Rotherham Borough area, to enable them to observe the use of the machine on site.