Non-Essential Highway Maintenance Works

Dorset Association of Parish & Town Councils Colliton Annexe, Colliton Park, Dorchester, Dorset

31 March 2017 DT1 1XJ Tel 01305 260972 # Email [email protected] # Web Site: www.dorset-aptc.gov.uk

Non-essential highway maintenance works Working Together – Dorset Highways

Dorset Highways has set out options for parish and town councils to consider implementing to enable non- essential and minor maintenance items to be carried out in their areas.

The list of work was presented by Dorset County Council’s Head of Highways at the DAPTC area meetings in July and at the DAPTC Clerks Seminar in September.

To assist the process for parish and town councils that are interested in becoming involved, Dorset County Council is offering the option for them to enter into agency agreements. Each agreement will set out the list of work that each parish/town council has agreed and discussed with its DCC Community Highways Officer. The agreements can cover use of a suitably qualified contractor including DCC Highways or use of in-house workforce. Any explanation of the agreement document can be given by DCC Community Highways Officer Michael Westwood.

NALC’s National Audit and Accounts Advisor has confirmed that such an agency agreement would confer on a parish/town council devolved powers to perform acts under the agreement, and incur expenditure by virtue of s101 LGA 1972. Any resolution of the council to undertake work/incur expenditure should clearly incorporate a reference to this power as permitting the intended action.

Each parish/town council should not exceed its approved budget for expenditure on works under the agency agreements. Any excess expenditure over budget would need to be separately approved (or denied) by each council. It is important that the works listed in the agreement are within the scope of funding made available (within its budget & precept) by the parish/town council.

Insurance, risk assessments plus health and safety arrangements must be agreed in advance of implementing any of the work. DCC Community Highway Officers will be the main contact to agree these details.

The arrangements for the agency agreement are set out in the Working Together – Highways document (page 3, option 4). A copy of this, together with an agency agreement document are available on the Sharepoint webpage Highways Working Together SharePoint Page

Use of volunteers

A parish/town council may be interested in using volunteers (Working Together – Highways document (page 3, option 1). The parish/town council should liaise directly with its DCC Community Highways Officer, who will supervise the volunteers. DCC Head of Highways has confirmed that Dorset County Council will be responsible for all insurance, risk assessments, plus health and safety arrangements if this arrangement with the Community Highway Officer is followed and that no expense will be passed to the parish/town council. More information including access to Sharepoint

Any further explanation of the arrangements for non-essential highway maintenance can be given by DCC Community Highway Manager Michael Westwood. His contact details are on the Sharepoint web page Highways Working Together SharePoint Page

If you do not have access to the SharePoint page, please email Mike O’Donovan at M.N.O'[email protected] who will be happy to help you. The Sharepoint webpage has a lot of Highways information, which a parish/town council may find generally helpful.

Hilary Trevorah 31 March 2017

Examples of non-essential maintenance and minor maintenance which parish/town councils may wish to consider getting involved with:

 Increased frequency of: o Urban grass cutting; o Rural verge cutting; o Gulley emptying; o Weed killing; o Sign cleaning; o General cleaning (road sweeping); o Tree pruning; o Siding out (removal of detritus from the back of footways), than would be achieved through DCC’s normal maintenance schedule.

 Earlier: o Refreshing of road markings; o Replacement of road signs, than would be achieved through the DCC’s normal maintenance schedule.

 Additional winter service functions (more salt bins, more salt, salting of additional routes, etc.)  Fingerpost arm replacement or re-painting.  Village gateway signage.  Other non-essential sign replacement.  Grip clearing more frequently than bi-annually.  Cutting back overgrowth around surface water gullies.  Clearance of fallen leaves from gullies.  Proactive clearing of surface water systems.  Painting or treating fencing.