Issue details

The first part of the decision (16/00038) seeks approval of the document “Our Approach to Asset Management in Highways” for publication to the County Council website.“Our Approach to Asset Management in Highways” is a concise document that describes how, by adopting the principles of asset management; the council will contribute to achieving the County Council’s vision and strategic objectives detailed in “Increasing Opportunities, Improving Outcomes”.

The second part of this decision (16/00038(2)) will seek approval of a detailed strategy document developed by Members and officers entitled “Implementing our Approach to Asset Management in Highways” in order to fully embed the principles of asset management described in the ‘approach’ document.

Changes to the Department for Transport (DfT) rules for funding highway maintenance have been introduced through its incentive fund to encourage local authorities to embed the use of asset management techniques into their management of highway maintenance and decision making around funding and priorities.  The main aim of the asset management approach being encouraged by the DfT is to clearly link investment decisions with an understanding of what that means in terms of outcomes.  In January 2016, Kent assessed itself as a Band 1 authority for incentive fund purposes.  If Kent cannot evidence that it has fully adopted the use of asset management and methodology and in doing so progressed to Band 3, it will receive £13m less in capital funding over the next four years.

The authority needs to introduce and adopt a lifecycle planning (for roads only) and manage investment on that basis. The authority also needs to publish an asset management “policy” describing how asset management principles will support KCC’s strategic objectives and strategy that clearly links the highway asset management approach with the corporate vision.

The approval of both documents will enable the council to conform to these requirements.