Issue - meetings

The Executive Members for Regeneration and Environment submitted a report for Executive’s consideration.

The purpose of the report was to gain approval to allocate funding to develop and deliver transport and infrastructure improvements contained within the report.

Middlesbrough Council received Local Transport Plan (LTP) funding from the Department for Transport (DfT), via Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA), to undertake maintenance and improvement works on the Council’s transport network.

The indicative LTP allocation for 2022/23 was £1.065m, specified against Integrated Transport (new works); £1.27m Highway Maintenance Formula and Incentive; and, £1.067m Pothole Funding (£3.4m total).

It was proposed that the Council approve the expenditure of the indicative LTP allocation for 23/24, as outlined in appendix 2. This would provide the Council time to identify the most prudent method of delivering a longer-term programme; ensuring that best value for money was achieved.

The projects within the proposed programme had been identified from the Council’s “Future Year scheme” list. This was a compiled table of all known requirements and suggestions received, which were matrix ranked for their suitability against a set criterion, forming a priority basis.  However, this was also conditional upon external funding criteria, eligible uses, statutory obligations, and other implications.

OPTIONS

Re-assessing the project proposals – this was not recommended, as they had been identified using a robust scoring matrix and the prescribed funding criteria, to ensure best allocation of resources. Any changes would have deviated from this process and added delays to the delivery programme.

ORDERED

That Executive be asked to:

1.     approve the allocation of funding to develop and deliver infrastructure improvements as outlined within the report;

2.     approve the programme package as set out in Appendix 2; and

3.     delegate any programme amendments and virements to new or prioritised projects, up to the value of £150,000, and where such activity is permissible within the funding criteria, to the Director of Regeneration/Director of Environment and Commercial Services in consultation with the Executive Member for Regeneration/Executive Member for Environment where appropriate.

REASONS

Recommendation would allow strategic allocation of funding to ensure that the Council was not only working toward its ambitions and objectives but was allocating resources to ensure statutory requirements placed upon the Council as the Highway Authority, “to ensure the safe and expeditious movement of people and goods on its network”.

The allocations that were being proposed were based on ensuring a balance between maintaining the existing assets and making improvements to the accessibility of the current network/alternate modes of transport enhancements. This balance was crucial to ensure the safety of the infrastructure, and to assist in encouraging sustainability and longevity of the network.