Agenda item

To consider proposals to procure a contract for the provision of highway surfacing and associated works.

Resolved that:

1.1         Sandwell MBC work in collaboration with Dudley MBC and Wolverhampton City Council with Dudley acting as the lead Authority to procure a contract for the provision of highway surfacing and associated works.

1.2         the Director of Borough Economy be authorised to accept tenders and award the recommended collaborative contract for the provision of highway surfacing and associated works in support of Sandwell’s annual planned highway maintenance programme, following a compliant competitive tender process.

1.3    the Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer be authorised to execute any documentation necessary to enable the recommended course of action.

1.4  Any necessary exemptions to be made to the Procurement and Contract Procedure Rules to enable the recommended course of action referred to proceed.

Approval was sought for Sandwell MBC to work in collaboration with Dudley MBC and Wolverhampton City Council, with Dudley acting as the lead Authority, to procure a contract for the provision of highway surfacing and associated works.

In response to a question by the Chair of Economy, Skills, Transport and Environment Scrutiny Board regarding slabbed footways and steps taken to planned footway maintenance priorities with ward members, the Cabinet Member for Community Safety stated, on behalf of Cabinet Member for Environment, that the contract recommended for approval in the report provided only for construction work to be undertaken, which would allow for work to be undertaken on all types of footway including locations with existing slabbed footways. Priorities were established separately in an equitable way based on regular borough wide condition surveys that provided the evidence for an impartial comparison across 1,400 km of footways in all wards. Ward members were advised of the work programme for the priority locations within their area in advance of construction and provided with information releases before they were made public.

Routine safety inspections were carried out on all streets around Sandwell at least annually. Where defects had been identified, these were classified according to degree of hazard. Prior to work taking place, where there were plans to remove slabbed footways, ward members would be advised that the work would see slabbed footways replaced with tarmac.

The Chair of Economy, Skills, Transport and Environment also enquired whether the Council considered purchasing JCB PotholePro machines to improve its efficiency in dealing with potholes.

In response, Cabinet Member for Community Safety stated, on behalf of Cabinet Member for Environment, that Sandwell Highway Officers had always been horizon scanning for innovative new products or tools to help increase efficiency and effectiveness. The Highway Service was aware of the use of the JCB PotholePro by Stoke City and other Councils, including Coventry and were monitoring the outcome these trials. Sandwell had also seen similar technology at various industry demonstrations.

These were, however, expensive machines costing in the region of £150k to £200k each. They could be cost effective in improving the speed of maintenance and/or productivity of pothole repairs in the right situation. In Sandwell, the Highway Service already repaired 96% of defects on time (Highways Services Performance Summary Report- Quarter 3 2021/22), meaning little scope to improve the speed of defect repairs. There was no significant backlog of potholes to repair either. Equipment like the JCB PotholePro was most effective at delivering significant productivity benefits where authorities had substantial programmes of potholes to address. Typically, these machines could complete 3 years of pothole repairs in 4 months. Sandwell did not have the number of potholes to repair that would make deployment of this type of machine beneficial. Highway Service would continue to monitor trials at other local authorities, although currently there were no plans to purchase a JCB PotholePro device.

Reason for Decision

The Council had a statutory duty under section 41 of The Highways Act 1980 to maintain highways that were maintainable at the public expense.

To meet this duty, routine highway maintenance works had been programmed such as patching for minor defects or wider resurfacing and reconstruction works where required.

Alternative Options Considered

There were no other viable and affordable alternatives to enable effective and efficient highway surfacing and associated works.

Agreed:-

(1)     that approval be given to Sandwell MBC working in collaboration with Dudley MBC and Wolverhampton City Council, with Dudley acting as the lead Authority, to procure a contract for the provision of highway surfacing and associated works;

(2)     that the Director of Borough Economy be authorised to accept tenders and award the recommended collaborative contract for the provision of highway surfacing and associated works in support of Sandwell’s annual planned highway maintenance programme, following a compliant competitive tender process;

(3)     that the Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer be authorised to execute any documentation necessary to enable the recommended course of action;

(4)     that any necessary exemptions be made to the Council’s Procurement and Contract Procedure Rules to enable the recommended course of action referred to proceed.