Agenda item

To note progress in KCC delivering traffic management and road asset improvements.

Andrew Loosemore (Head of Highways Asset Management) was in attendance for this item.

1.    Mr M Whiting (Cabinet Member for Planning, Highways, Transport and Waste) introduced the report that set out the content and progress of the Section 31Grant provided by the Department for Transport (DfT) to Kent County Council Highways in order to prepare for Brexit on 29^th March 2019. Mr Whiting paid tribute to Mr S Jones (Director of Highways, Transportation and Waste) for the work he had done to secure the money and to the officers for the speed in which they had delivered the work.

2.    Supplementary to this, Mr Loosemore paid further tribute to the Highways team for the extensive amount of work completed within a 3-month time frame to ensure completion by the 29^th March deadline. Mr Loosemore informed the Committee that demand for road space to undertake works had been at a premium due to Brexit works and this coupled with increased demand by utility companies had placed enormous pressure on the teams co-ordinating work on the highway. Mr Loosemore recognised that communication had not always been as good as it could have and apologised for this, however, the necessity to deliver a substantial volume of work within a critical timeframe took precedence.

3.    The officers and Cabinet Member for Planning. Highways, Transport and Waste responded to comments and questions from Members, including the following: -

(a)  Mr Whiting confirmed that there would need to be 10,000 Heavy Good’s Vehicles within Kent before full capacity was reached in order to use the M26. He assured Members that Kent County Council would continue to use all endeavours possible to work with the DfT and Highways England to ensure that the M26 remained open.

(b)  In response to the work of utilities companies, Mr Loosemore said that it the work of the utilities company was equally as important as the work carried out by the Highways team and work was being undertaken to carefully coordinate the utilities work due to be carried out across the county. The work was due to commence during the school holiday period to reduce traffic congestion.

(c)  Mr Loosemore said that the Council had not put further matrix signage up, however, had a number of other temporary signage to assist road users. With regards to Automatic Number Plate Recognition, the Council had not been given authority by the DfT to undertake enforcement, however, additional CCTV cameras had been installed to help the Highways team monitor the road network.

(d)  Mrs B Cooper (Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport) responded to comments regarding Manston and said that the DfT held the contract with the site owner and that Kent County Council was undertaking work on behalf of DfT to ensure the site was ready. Mrs Cooper said that there was no a specific time limit, however the Council had been given instruction from Government to plan for three months of disruption and three months of recovery.

(e)  In response to operation Brock, Mrs Cooper referred Members to page 351 of the agenda pack which provided detail of the trigger points and advised the Committee that the Council reserved the rights to vary the trigger points should issues arise. With regard to a potential M26 closure, Mrs Cooper confirmed that one lane would remain open to allow for blue light services to attend any potential incidents.

4.    RESOLVED that the report be noted.