Agenda item

DB: We deliver services through 3 contracts:

1.    Day to day service

2.    Balfour Beaties – lighting service

3.    NSL – parking enforcing.

Contracts are delivered to County Council policies and standards are set. We share data with 20 other councils. We are confined annually on what we pay and to which service eg – pot hole repairs. Money is benchmarked.

Benchmarking is difficult. Take data from councils to do an in depth analysis and then targets are set. If there is a failure to reach the targets, reductions can be made to service providers. Also monitor effectiveness of work and monitor ourselves.

Can receive 50,000 reports of potholes per year. These are categorised.  Emergencies are dealt with within 2 hours.

Category 1 pothole: 50 mm depth. Dealt within 5 days.

Category 2 pothole: Everything else. 4 months to do repair.

Timescales are the same with footways and category 1 pothole needs to be 20mm depth.

ACTION: Details of repair to be circulated once DTB has sent them.

BN: Received emails from Andrew Leighton. These emails were read out. BN stated that Andrew responded to the emails but failed to address the issue.

BN felt that the council philosophy is wrong. Would like to see NCC to abandon its current strategy until all the roads which have the worst potholes are repaired.

DTB went through the strategy. It is preventative and based on budget costs. The dept has received 11% reduction on the budget.  Roads which have reached end of life need resurfacing. If issues are tackled in isolation the money will be spent quickly. Some roads are resurfaced and some are not. Need to manage asset in longer term. Have to have a strategy to look at all the roads across the county. The number of potholes has decreased.

Cheaper treatment was used for Link View estate as this was deemed the correct option.

BN: Still could not understand the strategy. How can this be justified when roads are terrible elsewhere. Thought it would be very difficult for the residents of Austin Road.

DTB: Picking cheaper treatment covers more of the network. Covering more protects the water coming in.  Money was awarded and the Westone area was chosen.

DH: The budget is not deliverable. County Council is on the verge of bankruptcy. Contracts were set up that repairs would last 75 years. But this doesn’t work. For eg – Brooklyn Road junction – potholes keep appearing and are repaired over and opver again.

Contracts have to comply with the Environmental Protection Act. When are you going to manage the contractor? Cannot see changes and cannot see value for money.

TM: There is a petition for Burwoord Road. Mayfield Road has dreadful potholes.

DTB: Don’t think Northamptonshire is the only County Council with these issues. Nationally the quality of roads is declining. Do prioritise schemes. Work is based on needs.

When we prioritise, this is not always acceptable to the local community. Trying to apply for extra funding but this is not confirmed yet.

BN: Because potholes are widespread feel that this is the wrong approach.

Cllr O: It doesn’t feel like the number of potholes has decreased. How long will it take for all the potholes in Northamptonshire to be repaired?

DTB: 60 years. The ask is huge and we are taking small steps. Funding is being sought.

TM: 50 – 60 years is very long.

HT: What about footpaths? School children use the A400 and there are lose stones and the paths are dangerous. Footway to Weston Flavell is terrible and one particular path is flooded.

ACTION: DTB will look into this. There is a lower threshold with footpaths.

RR: We have a neighbourhood watch scheme in our area and people could get training.

DTB: There is a Highway Warden Scheme and residents are given training.

People can also report roads which need repair. The planned work programme by Highways is published on the website. We would also like to go to neighbourhood groups eg – residents associations.

ACTION: AM/NM to send details of residents association groups to DTB.