HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORT WORKING GROUP Paper Meeting date: 1 July 2008 No.
From: Interim Corporate Director Appendix 1 Client Services
LOCALITY WORKING – THE HIGHWAY STEWARDS SERVICE
1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 This report updates Local Committees on progress with the introduction of the highway stewards service, a key aspect of the County Council’s drive towards highways locality working .
2.0 POLICY POSITION, BUDGETARY AND EQUALITY IMPLICATIONS AND LINKS TO COUNCIL STRATEGY
2.1 The effective delivery of the highway service is incorporated into the greener and safer aims of the Council. The introduction of locality working, engagement with parishes and the community generally, through the highway stewards will contribute to improving council services.
2.2 Work carried out on the highway network is financed from both revenue and capital budgets. The funding of £1m for the highway stewards is included as part of the revenue budget for 2008/09.
2.3 There are no known equality implications associated with this report.
3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
3.1 That the contents of this report be noted.
4.0 BACKGROUND
4.1 The highway stewards form one element of the Council’s drive towards locality working and community engagement. The proposals for 24 highway stewards were approved at Council on 14 February 2008.
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4.2 The highway stewards will work with County Council members and parishes to improve the delivery of the highway service at a community level.
4.3 Their function is seen as:-
Minor jobbing work as per the community steward.
Direct links to local members, parishes, area highway teams and Inspectors to identify work and resolve issues.
“Eyes and Ears” but concentrating on other work done in the area, for example to have knowledge of routine maintenance to ensure consistent delivery.
Other functions could be added as role develops.
Role is seen as Inspector/Ganger/Foreman level to provide the necessary degree of communications skills.
4.4 The highway stewards service is being rolled out over a four month period with full county coverage anticipated by August 2008. Running concurrently with their introduction in the re-programming of the area highway teams who will be move from the rural areas to the main urban centres. The Area Highway Teams are double manned ensuring the capability to deliver tasks particularly associated with urban areas, for example paving flag and kerbs repairs.
4.5 The distribution of highway stewards is based on road length as the type of activity they undertake is most influenced by this. Each Steward will responsible for about 200-250km of road length and their boundaries will coincide with Parish areas. The split by area is as follows:-
Allerdale 5 stewards 20% of network length Barrow 1 stewards 4% of network length Carlisle 4 stewards 17% of network length Copeland 2 stewards 9% of network length Eden 5 ½ stewards 23% of network length South Lakes 6 ½ stewards 27% of network length
4.6 The parishes in each of the operational areas are listed in Appendix 1. Maps showing the areas are available but not included in this report.
Progress to Date
4.7 The introduction of the highway stewards is progressing to the agreed programme with the key areas of progress as follows:-
The posts were advertised originally internally to all Cumbria Highways staff.
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We have successfully recruited 21 stewards with 13 coming from within the current Cumbria Highways workforce,
The first tranche of six stewards commenced work on the network on 21 April following a number of days of training. The second four followed on 19th May with a further eight on 16th June 2008.
Recruitment is ongoing to fill the remaining posts in line with the end of July roll out programme.
An intensive training programme has been developed covering legislative, customer care, political awareness and basic highway law. External candidates will require 10 days training before being allowed on the network.
All equipment has been procured including tools, computers, cameras etc.
The first of the new vehicles have been delivered and a further 14 are due for delivery by the end of July 2008.
The service will be badged as Cumbria Highways and incorporate the county logo and Hotline number / web address.
Communications
4.8 Communications are seen as key to the success of the highway stewards. Progress to date is highlighted below:-
Cumbria Highways staff have been briefed on the highway stewards service.
We have worked with CALC and some parish representatives to produce two leaflets covering the highway stewards service and the parish highways representative scheme. These have been distributed along with a covering letter from the Portfolio Holder and the “Working Together” newsletter to all members and parish/town councils.
The parish highways representative leaflet requests that parish/town Councils nominate a parish highways representative who will be teamed up with the appropriate highway steward.
The Cumbria Highways “Rough Guide” has been produced providing information on Cumbria Highways, procedures, budgetary management
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and service delivery. This document has been distributed to all members and parish/town Council clerks.
Individual area based launches commenced on 18th June. All stakeholders (members, parish/town council and district representatives, Cumbria Highways local staff) will be invited to an evening session to be held centrally within the steward’s area. The guide will be utilised to inform the roll out and the event will be used to both introduce the steward and agree working protocols. These 24 events will be completed during August 2008. The timetable for those events in the area are shown in Appendix 2.
The service will also be officially launched in the media to coincide with the first launch event in a particular newspaper circulation area. This will be arranged by the Media Team.
Finally a session will also be organised for main urban area representatives to ensure understanding of deployment of area highway teams within Cumbria Highways.
Operational areas
4.9 The highway stewards have clear operational areas. These were defined to minimise the number of stewards that members have to deal with. They are not related to ‘communities’ which do not match parish, district or electoral divisions.
The highway stewards areas have been determined to ensure an even spread of the network (approx. 200-250km of network).
Detailed maps have been produced and will be distributed at individual area launches.
A programme has been developed for each steward to ensure full coverage of parish/town council areas. This programme will be sufficiently flexible to allow priority works anywhere within an area to be handled.
Records
4.10 Not only do we need to have the stewards out working, we need to evidence their level of activity and compare this throughout the County. The points below set out where we are with recording and reporting the work.
Record requirements have been determined which will ensure both data capture on activity as well as the provision of reporting.
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Initial data capture is on paper. Although tablet computers are available the “Informer” software required to ensure appropriate data collection is currently being updated. At present we expect to be live with “Postbox” entry by mid July 2008. From this point forward all data will be collected and entered on Postbox.
Work is ongoing to develop reporting arrangements which will allow regular updates on work to members and parish/town council areas.
4.11 The stewards are being selected with care and as such the main area of risk at present is the recruitment of all 24 stewards. We will not, however, reduce our standards and requirements given the importance of the service and the high level of communication and community engagement required.
5.0 OPTIONS
5.1 None.
6.0 CONCLUSION
6.1 The introduction of the highway stewards service is progressing to programme with 21 of the 24 recruited. The engagement of local members and Parish / town council representatives is seen as a key aspect in ensuring the schemes success. Launch events are being organised and a Cumbria Highways “Rough Guide” produced to support the process.
Rob Lawley Programme Manager (Revenue) June 2008
APPENDICES
1 Lists of parishes in highway steward areas. 2 Timetable of area launch meetings.
IMPLICATIONS
Staffing: 24 new staff members Financial: County Council revenue budget - £1m 2008/09 Electoral Division(s): All
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Executive Decision Yes No Key Decision Yes No If a Key Decision, is the proposal published in the current Forward Plan/ Yes No N/A Is the decision exempt from call-in on grounds of urgency? Yes No If exempt from call-in, has the agreement of the Chair of the relevant Yes No N/A Overview and Scrutiny Committee been sought or obtained? Has this matter been considered by Overview and Scrutiny? Yes No If so, give details below Has an environmental or sustainability impact assessment been undertaken? Yes No N/A Has an equality impact assessment been undertaken? Yes No N/A
CONSIDERATION BY OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY
Not considered. Due to be reported to Environment Scrutiny Panel in July.
BACKGROUND PAPERS
None
RESPONSIBLE CABINET MEMBER
Ian Stewart, Cabinet Member for the Environmental Wellbeing
Contact: Rob Lawley, Telephone: 01228 607654 email: [email protected]
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Appendix 1 to Agenda Item No 10/07/2008
List of Town/Parish Councils in Highway Stewards Area
ALLERDALE
Above Derwent Blindbothel Borrowdale Buttermere 1 Keswick Lorton Loweswater St Johns Castlerigg & Wythburn
Blindcrake Bothel and Threpland Bridekirk Brigham Cockermouth Crosscanonby 2 Dearham Embleton & District (including Setmurphy and Wythop) Gilcrux Hayton & Mealo Outerside & Allerby Papcastle Plumbland
Allhallows Allonby Aspatria Bassenthwaite Bewaldeth & Snittlegarth Blennerhasset & Torpenhow Boltons 3 Bromfield Holme Abbey Holme Low Holme St Cuthbert Ireby Silloth on Solway Underskiddaw Westnewton
4 Aikton Bowness on Solway Caldbeck Dundraw Holme East Waver Kirkbampton Kirkbride Sebergham
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Thursby Waverton Westward Wigton Woodside
Broughton Broughton Moor Camerton Dean Great Clifton 5 Greysouthern Little Clifton Maryport Seaton Winscales
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Appendix 2 to Agenda Item No 10/07/2008
Timetable of Areas Launch Meetings
Allerdale
Area 1 (Keswick / Lorton / Borrowdale area) meeting at Keswick Town Council chamber 7pm 15 July 2008.
Area 2 (Cockermouth / Plumbland area) meeting at Victoria Hall, Cockermouth 7pm 23 July 2008.
Area 3 (Aspatria / Bassenthwaite / Solway coast area) meeting at Aspatria RUFC.,7pm 29 July 2008.
Area 4 (Wigton / Anthorne / Caldbeck area) Steward to commence duties late July - date and venue of meeting to be confirmed.
Area 5 (Maryport / Broughton area) provisional meeting at Eaglesfield Village Hall 7pm 31 July 2008.
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