Agenda item

-           Strategic Director of Environment and Development Services to report.

Councillor Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environment Services, introduced a report by the Strategic Director of Environment and Development Services, outlining the Department for Transport’s announcement on a Local Highway Maintenance Challenge Fund that local highway authorities could bid into for schemes that addressed local highway maintenance issues. 

In accordance with the criteria, a strategic corridor scheme had been developed centred on the A630 that would benefit from the submission of a bid into the Fund.  The bid consisted to two elements:-

-          Major works to be carried out to Crinoline Bridge (A630) – value of works £5.8M (Rotherham’s contribution should be £580,000)

-          Major maintenance works on the A630 (strategic network) – value of works £5.8M (Rotherham’s contribution should be £580,000)

Eligible highways authorities may submit a maximum of two bids, one small scheme (over £5M) and one large scheme (over £20M).  The Fund was designed to help maintain existing local highways infrastructure.  The A630 ran between Rotherham’s boundary with Sheffield in the west through to the Doncaster boundary in the east, forming key strategic links to the M1 from Rotherham Town Centre, the Rotherham urban area and Waverley Advance Manufacturing Park.  The A630 Centenary Way played a critical role in managing traffic movements through and around the Town Centre forming part of both the inner and outer ring road.

Reactive maintenance on the route introduced delay to drivers and the structural weakness of Crinoline Bridge (near to the junction of A630 Centenary Way and the A6021 Drummond Street) would ultimately require weight restrictions or closures to be imposed if left unaddressed.  This would impose significant diversions and delay to drivers, bus passengers and freight movements resulting in a major adverse impact on the Rotherham Town Centre and urban economy.

The total cost of the scheme was £11.6M and the total contribution to the Local Authority to the Local Authority, therefore, would be £1.16M.  It was likely that at least part of the Council’s contribution would need to be provided through prudential borrowing in addition to Council Capital Receipts.  The Department for Transport contribution would be £10.44M.

There was no certainty that applications to the Fund would be successful.

The bid must be submitted by on 9^th February, 2015 and on this basis a request had been submitted to the Mayor to exempt it from the call-in procedure.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the submission of a bid for the A630 Strategic Corridor Scheme to the Department for Transport’s Local Highway Maintenance Challenge Fund (via the Combined Authority), as outlined in the report submitted, total cost £11.6M, be approved.

(2)  That a contribution from the Council to the scheme of 10% (£1.6M) be approved.

(3)  That it be noted that there would be no further contributions from the Department for Transport towards the scheme costs above their contribution of £10.44M (as set out in the bid) and that any expenditure above the estimated scheme cost (including contingency) of £11.6M rests with the Council.

(The Mayor exempted this item from call-in due to the deadline for submission of bids being 9^th February, 2015.)