Agenda and minutes

Members and officers must declare any pecuniary or personalinterest in any business on the agenda. They should also make declarations at any stage such an interest becomes apparent during the meeting. Consideration should be given to leaving the meeting if the nature of the interest warrants it.  If in doubt please contact Democratic Services before the meeting.

32.1 No interests were declared.

The Committee is asked to agree the minutes of the meeting held on 21 September – attached (cream paper).

33.1 Resolved – that the Part I minutes of the Environment, Communities and Fire Select Committee held on 21 September 2018 be approved as a correct record, and that they be signed by the Chairman.

The Committee is asked to agree the Part II minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 21 September 2018 – attached for members of the Committee only.

Exempt: paragraph 3, financial or business affairs of any person (including the authority).

34.1 Resolved – that the Part II minutes of the Environment, Communities and Fire Select Committee held on 21 September 2018 be approved as a correct record, and that they be signed by the Chairman.

The Committee is asked to note the Cabinet Member’s Responses to the Committee’s Recommendations:

a)   Fire Authority’s Integrated Risk Management Action Plan 2018-22

The Committee is asked to note the Cabinet Member’s response to the Committee’s Recommendations on the Fire Authority’s Integrated Risk Management Plan 2018-22 – attached.

b)   Strategic Planning

The Committee is asked to note the Cabinet Member’s response to the Committee’s Recommendations on Strategic Planning - attached.

c)   Highways Maintenance Contract Update

The Committee is asked to note the Cabinet Member’s response to the Committee’s Recommendations on the Highways Maintenance Contract Update – attached.

a)  Fire Authority’s Integrated Risk Management Action Plan 2018-22

35.1 The Committee noted the Cabinet Member’s Response to the Committee’s Recommendations on the Fire Authority’s Integrated Risk Management Action Plan 2018-22.

b)  Strategic Planning

35.2 The Committee noted the Cabinet Member’s Response to the Committee’s Recommendations on Strategic Planning.

35.3 Members made the following comments:

·         Requested a more robust protocol as the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) process was potentially vulnerable for the County Council to attain funds for infrastructure.

c)   Highways Maintenance Contract Update

35.4 The Committee noted the Cabinet Member’s Response to the Committee’s Recommendations on the Highways Maintenance Contract Update

35.5 The Committee received a tabled letter from the Chairman of the Performance & Finance Committee(copy appended to signed minutes). 

Report by Director of Highways and Transport and Head of Highway Engineering – attached.

The Committee requested a review to be undertaken on how the National Cycle Network (NCN2) scheme was conceived, funding sought and delivered and what lessons can be learned for planning and delivery of similar schemes in future. A workshop including officers, design consultants and contractors was held to review what went well regarding the scheme, what could have been improved, and to draw key lessons to feed into future schemes. 

The Committee is asked to support the findings of this review and how they will be addressed in future highway schemes.

36.1 The Committee considered a report by Director of Highways and Transport and Head of Highways Engineering (copy appended to signed minutes). 

36.2 Alex Sharkey, Manager Highways Projects, Guy Bell, Head of Highway Engineering and Hiong Ching Hii, Project Manager introduced the report which outlined the lessons learnt from the implementation and delivery of the NCN2 scheme. Key points were:

·         Greater emphasis on early involvement with the County Council’s Strategic Planning team when preparing future funding bids, in order to help challenge the timescale and cost of proposed delivery and to ensure that realistic targets were set.

·         Ensuring adequate resourcing during the construction phase for future major projects, to include a dedicated County Council site supervisor to be on site throughout the duration of the construction period.   

·         The implementation of an appropriate governance structure in place to ensure a successful delivery of highways schemes from concept to completion. 

·         The importance of keeping the public informed by providing timely information using pro-active press releases, social media and variable messaging signs.

36.3 Mrs Pendleton, Local Member for Middleton was invited to address the Committee, giving her views on the scheme.

36.4 She welcomed the new cycle path, giving cyclists a safe route, but believed that managing the public’s perception had been compromised. In her view there had been operational issues with ensuring safe delivery on the ground. These included:

·         A lack of co-ordination of traffic flow through the temporary traffic lights which caused traffic disruption, with no notification of potential disruption further afield on the route to allow drivers to seek alternative routes.

·         A lack of communication and unity between contractors, with the public perception being that there were multiple contractors on site working on three different sections of the road, with regular users observing long periods of inactivity.

·         Poor communication to the public over the works and the dramatic increase in length of the programme of works.

·         Works not being carried out during the quieter night time period. She understood the increased costs and safety issues associated with this, but believed that it should have been allowed for in the original budget.

36.5 She respectfully requested that these observations were taken onto account for future works.

36.6 Mr Sharkey advised that the A259 was a demanding and challenging route in dealing with the dynamics of this scheme. Although the County Council didn’t account for all the challenges that arose, it was agreed that the public should have been better informed. In respect to night works, there were often difficulties over costs, safety and noise which could be intrusive to residents and road users. 

36.7 Mr Ching Hii advised that one contractor was working on the three sections of the road at the same time due to the busy nature of the road. Appropriate concerns over the co-ordination of the works were justified, but the sheer volume of traffic on the A259 didn’t help the build-up of congestion during the works.

36.8 The Committee made comments including those that follow.  It:

·         Welcomed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36.

The Director of Highways and Transport will give a verbal update outlining the Cabinet Member’s proposed way forward on a procurement process for the New Highways Maintenance Contract – No background papers.

37.1 Matt Davy, Director of Highways and Transport gave a verbal update outlining the Cabinet Member’s proposed way forward on a procurement process for the new Highways Maintenance Contract.  Key points were:

·         The previous procurement process had been halted by an ongoing legal challenge, but in the interim, a new contract had been created with current provider Balfour Beatty whose original contract term ended in June 2018. This new contract started in July 2018 with an initial term due to expire in March 2019. There was an option to extend this to June 2019, although a further extension of this until March 2020 was also under consideration. 

·         There had been slight proposed changes to the governance surrounding the new procurement process which included a dedicated ‘non highways’ Project Manager and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)working groups. The project board consisting of senior officers, the Director of Highways and Transport and the Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure would also continue.

·         An options appraisal, which included the work of an independent consultant, had been commissioned in August 2018 to look at how best to deliver the service going forward. The draft report received in October 2018 was currently under consideration and would be key in the model used going forward.

·         The next steps involved two key decisions by the Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure by December, followed by market/bidder engagement in March/June, tender submissions in June /July and tender evaluations in August to October. The Committee would be given further opportunity for scrutiny as things were progressed and major milestones reached.

37.2 The Committee made comments including those that follow. It:

·        Supported the improved governance but queried whether it was adequate enough and whether lessons had been learnt from the first procurement. The Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure advised there was now a more robust way forward and the outcome of the legal challenge was not yet known to determine the full lessons.  Mr Davy added that the new governance structure showed a scrutiny role for the Committee and agreed the work programme should include a regular update. The Chairman agreed that at the next meeting of the Business Planning Group (BPG) on 20^th December the process could be looked at.

·        Raised concerns that as the County Council was making further financial cuts, the costs of the procurement continued to spiral and questioned who was ultimately responsible and what the costs were, requesting that when information on the previous procurement was ready that it be made publically available.

·        Queried whether an in-house option for service provision had now been dismissed. Mr Davey advised that all options were being considered, including in-house and would be shared once the options appraisal had been completed. The Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure advised that this could be December or January.

37.3 Resolved – That the Committee:

1)   Requests that when information becomes available on the previous procurement it be made publically available.

2)   Requests scrutiny of the options appraisal report  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

a)Membership

The membership of the Committee’s Business Planning Group (BPG) must comprise five members, including two from minority groups. Mr Purchese has resigned from the Business Planning Group, so the Committee is asked to appoint Mr Oppler in his place.

b)BPG Report

The report provides an update to the Committee of the Business Planning Group meeting held on 27 September 2018, setting out the key issues discussed – attached

The Committee is asked to endorse the contents of this report and the Committee’s Work Programme for 2018/19, revised to reflect the Business Planning Group’s discussions, and subsequent developments.

a)   Membership

38.1 The Committee agreed the appointment of Mr Oppler to the Business Planning Group membership.

b)   BPG Report

38.2 The Committee considered a report by the Chairman of the Business Planning Group (copy appended to the signed minutes).

38.3 Resolved – That the Committee endorses the contents of the report and particularly the Committee’s Work Programme for 2018/19, revised to reflect the Business Planning Group’s (BPG’s) discussions.

38.4 Members requested that other areas as well as prevention such as the resilience and emergencies teams be looked at in the Fire & Rescue Service report

Extract fromthe ForwardPlan dated 1 November 2018 – attached.

Anextract fromanyForwardPlan publishedbetween the date of despatchof the agenda and the date of the meetingwill be tabled at the meeting.

The Committee is asked to consider whetheritwishes to enquireinto any of the forthcoming decisions withinits portfolio.

39.1 The Committee considered the Forward Plan dated 1 November (copy appended to signed minutes).

39.2 Resolved – That the Forward Plan be noted.

Members to mention any items which they believe to be of relevance to the business of the Select Committee, and suitable for scrutiny, e.g. raised with them by constituents arising from central government initiatives etc.

If any member puts forward such an item, the Committee’s role at this meeting is just to assess, briefly, whether to refer the matter to its Business Planning Group (BPG) to consider in detail.

40.1 Members requested that the BPG consider the current system of calling a moderation panel of officers in relation to Community Highways Schemes.

The next scheduled meeting of the Committee is on 6 December 2018 at 10.30 a.m. at County Hall, Chichester.

Items likely to be on the agenda include:

·         Bus Subsidies

·         Gatwick Airport Ltd Masterplan - Consultation response

·         On-street Parking to Support Traffic Management

The Committee noted that its next scheduled meeting will take place on 6 December 2018 at 10.30am at County Hall, Chichester.