SCC LOCAL COMMITTEE IN SPELTHORNE. Local Transportation Revenue Expenditure 2004/05 6 DECEMBER 2004

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1 s SCC LOCAL COMMITTEE IN SPELTHORNE Local Transportation Revenue Expenditure 2004/05 KEY ISSUE: 6 DECEMBER 2004 To review the current revenue budgets relating to Transportation activities within Spelthorne for 2004/05. SUMMARY: The revenue budgets were set and funding allocated against various work activities relating to highway maintenance functions at the start of the current financial year. This report summarises the expenditure to date and the predicted expenditure over the remainder of the financial year. OFFICER RECOMMENDATIONS: The Committee is asked (i) to note this report. (ii) to give authority to the Local Transportation Director to make appropriate decisions as reflected in para INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND 1.1 The Local Committee received a report at its meeting on the 22 March 2004 relating to the Annual Highway Management Plan for the Spelthorne Local Transportation Service for 2004/05 and contained within this report 70

2 was planned distribution and expenditure of Revenue funding for this financial year (minute 180/03 refers). 1.2 However, at the County Council s Executive meeting on 13 th April 2004, the Capital and Revenue budgets were amended across the County, which allowed some additional Revenue funding to be made available which, provided the district with a Community Gang. (minute 12/04 refers). 2. ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY 2.1 Accurate Revenue expenditure is available up to the end of July 2004 with valuations from Ringway Highway Services for the months of August and September Estimated costs for October 2004 and committed expenditure for November through to March 2005 have been made to enable a forecast of expenditure for the current financial year to be established. 2.2 The Revenue funded Minor Maintenance schemes are indicated in Annex A, together with comments. Annex B covers the expenditure of all other maintenance activities with the committed works orders programme. 2.3 The predicted Revenue expenditure for 2004/05 indicates that there will be an overspend on this budget of 78, Why is there an overspend predicted? 2.5 The reasons for the estimated overspend of 78,000 is not down to one area but a number, however the major areas are as follows: a) Increased costs within the Street Lighting Maintenance contract 10,000 (lighting) and 5,000 (Aids to Movement electrical maintenance) b) Insufficient accruals of Revenue from 2003/04 works 15,000. c) Increased costs in grass cutting ( 24,000), which are under investigation and additional works on trees ( 20,000), which is due to the poor condition of many of Spelthorne s highway tree stock. 2.6 The anticipated overspend can be avoided by some drastic action but there are consequences to these actions as follows: a) It is recommended that the Street Lighting and Aids to Movement Electrical Maintenance works should remain on target for a 10,000 and 5,000 overspend as street lighting and illuminated signs and bollards link strongly with safety and Crime and Disorder. b) There is nothing that can be done to reverse accruals in where works were completed during 2003/04 but not paid for until 2004/05. Ringway 71

3 Highway Services have put in place more stringent measures to track these at the end of this financial year. c) The minor maintenance schemes programme could make a saving of 40,000 if it was agreed to defer Manor Farm Avenue, Shepperton drainage scheme until 2005/06 (estimated costs now 40,000) as the soak away systems require connections to the existing surface water system and avoid flooding problems outside St Nicholas School and residential homes. However, the planned works at Kingston Road, Staines (footway works outside The Broadway and Stainash Parade) have been deferred until 2005/06 due to planned Transco works. Some other completed schemes have cost more than the original estimates and these are currently under investigation. d) The planned grass cut for March 2005 could be deferred until April 2005 ( 17,000). This is not recommended as March is the first month of the grass growing season and the programme would leave Staines and Stanwell the last areas to cut during late April with almost two months of growth, therefore an unacceptable length of grass and visions of last year. e) The Gully Cleansing budget programme needs to be finalised to ensure that every gully within the Spelthorne highway network has been cleansed once this year or been the subject of a defect report to the LTS. However the other drainage budget could make savings by not undertaking dig outs to defective gullies and cleansing of faulty drainage systems. This would bring to a halt the good work that has commenced this year in improving some of the worst cases for flooding on the highway network, which has been appreciated by certain local residents but prolong the ponding and flooding problems that exist elsewhere. It is therefore not recommended to make savings within this budget activity. f) The safety maintenance budget could make savings whereby the patching gang and / or Community gang were not employed during the latter part of the year. This would cause serious consequences in the safety for the highway user, whereby potholes and trips (Category 1 and 2A defects) were not repaired and the transfer of insurance liability would take place from Ringway Highway Services to the County Council. It is therefore not appropriate to consider any savings in this activity. g) The Winter Maintenance activity is ring fenced and no savings can be made from the Damage to County Property as this is predicted to have a balanced budget. 3. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 3.1 If the Revenue budget is allowed to overspend by 78,000 it is likely that the 2005/06 budget will be under even greater pressure with a cut of 72

4 78,000 on the initial budget. It is therefore recommended that the budget overspend is kept to a minimum. 4. CONCLUSION & REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION 4.1 There are difficulties in balancing this budget, with on the one hand a predicated overspend of 78,000 and on the other possible inaccurate financial data provided by Ringway Highway Services where some of the costs (actual or valuation) are in dispute and are under investigation. 4.2 At the present time with many uncertainties it is recommended that the Local Transportation Director makes appropriate decisions to minimise the predicted overspend when the investigations on the current expenditure has been concluded. Report by: LEAD/CONTACT OFFICER: Paul Fishwick Local Transportation Director Paul Fishwick, Local Transportation Director - Spelthorne TELEPHONE NUMBER: BACKGROUND PAPERS: Ringway Highway Services monthly expenditure and Valuation reports. 73

5 Item No: ANNEX A ROAD NO ROAD NAME TOWN/VILLAGE WORK TYPE STATUS REMARKS BUDGET ALLOCATION ESTIMATE C248 Kingston Road Staines Kerb/Footway Cancelled D3222 St Annes Avenue Stanwell Kerb/Footway On Site West side D3260 Ashford Avenue Ashford Kerb/Footway Out to Tender D3252 Parkland Grove Ashford Kerb/Footway Out to Tender D3304 Cherry Tree Avenue Staines Kerb/Footway Complete Costs currently under investigation D3304 Hurstdene Avenue Staines Kerb/Footway Complete Costs currently under investigation D3304 Hazel Grove Staines Kerb/Footway Complete Costs currently under investigation D3304 Beechwood Avenue Staines Kerb/Footway Complete B378 School Road Ashford Drainage Complete B376 Shepperton Road Laleham Drainage Complete Jetting only-costed to drainage budget D6281 Manor Farm Avenue Shepperton Drainage In Design D6242 Station Road Sunbury Drainage Complete Jetting only-costed to drainage budget B375 Chertsey Bridge Road Shepperton Earthworks Prog 29/11/04 JAP Knotweed C232 Harfield Road Sunbury Drainage Complete Jetting only-costed to drainage budget TOTAL

6 Item No ANNEX B Works Type Code Allocation April May June July Aug Sept Total Oct-Mar 05 Committed Balance Surface Dressing C/Way Gen Patching/Minor Repairs Drainage General Footways/Cycle Tracks Gen Fencing/Walls/Barriers Total Repairs Drainage Schemes Footways/Cycle Tracks Schemes Total Grass Cutting Verge/Tree Repairs Residual Clearing Weed Control Total Environmental Gully Emptying Other Drainage Works Total Drainage Signs & Marking-Existing Signs & Markings-New Electrical Maintenance Total Aids to Movement Winter Maintenance S/L Maintenance

7 DCP's TOTAL ALLOCATION Item No ANNEX B Works Type Code Allocation April May June July Aug Sept Total Oct-Mar 05 Committed Balance Surface Dressing C/Way Gen Patching/Minor Repairs Drainage General Footways/Cycle Tracks Gen Fencing/Walls/Barriers Total Repairs Drainage Schemes Footways/Cycle Tracks Schemes Total Grass Cutting Verge/Tree Repairs Residual Clearing Weed Control Total Environmental Gully Emptying Other Drainage Works Total Drainage Signs & Marking-Existing Signs & Markings-New Electrical Maintenance Total Aids to Movement Winter Maintenance

8 S/L Maintenance DCP's TOTAL ALLOCATION