Agenda item

The Chair introduced the report which provided an update on key transport related developments in relation to the Board’s work programme, specifically regarding the Highways Agency and the Infrastructure Bill, highways maintenance, and parking.

Kamal Panchal, Senior Advisor, explained that the Infrastructure Bill had become an Act on 12 February and, following LGA lobbying, included a requirement for Highways England (HE), the successor Government owned company to the Highways Agency, to produce route strategies on which to base future investment plans. This would effectively lock-in council engagement on future discussions on route strategies and subsequent HE investment plans. Members noted that the LGA would be able to influence Highways England through a new Stakeholder Advisory Panel. A further update to the Board on what form this panel would take would be provided in due course.

Regarding highways maintenance it was highlighted that the Government had announced in January the allocations that each highways authority could receive for maintenance. The LGA had lobbied to provide councils greater certainty of this funding, and as a result had ensured that 80% of funding would be allocated on a needs based formula basis, and 10% would be subject to competitive bidding (rather than 25% which was originally proposed).  A further 10% was top-sliced for council commitment to efficiency and good asset management principles.

The Deregulation Bill had recently passed its third reading in the House of Lords and was expected to receive Royal Assent shortly. The Government had now published draft secondary legislation on parking which would come into effect when the Bill became an Act, which would enable the ban on CCTV for issuing automated fines except in no-parking areas around schools, bus stops, bus lanes and red routes from April 2015. Further lobbying of the Government and discussions with partners on these matters would continue.

In the discussion which followed the following points were raised:

• The maintenance of strategic roads was the responsibility of the Government and not Councils, but Councils were still required to collect litter. There was an argument that the authority responsible for highway maintenance of a road should also be responsible for collecting litter on the road.
• Government announcements on parking, specifically related to a supposed Council ‘war on motorists’, were unhelpful and did not reflect public opinion.
• The fact that Councils would be consulted by Highways England in the planning of route strategies was welcomed.
• Highways England should be invited to a future meeting of the Board to discuss how they would work with Councils individually and the LGA.

Decision:

• Representatives of Highways England should be invited to a future meeting to discuss how they would engage with Councils and the LGA.

Actions:

• Further information on the Stakeholder Advisory Panel, and detail on who should sit on the Panel and its remit, should be provided for consideration at a future meeting.

·         Highways England to be invited to a future meeting.