Report to:

Cabinet

 

Date of meeting:

23 January 2024

 

By:

Director of Communities, Economy and Transport 

 

Title:

Scrutiny Review of Pothole Management – Observations on the Scrutiny Committee’s report

 

Purpose:

To provide Cabinet with the opportunity to comment on the response of the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport to the recommendations of the Scrutiny Review of Pothole Management.

 

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

 

Cabinet is recommended to:

 

1)    note and welcome the report of the Place Scrutiny Committee; and

 

2)    advise the County Council that, in considering the report of the Scrutiny Committee, the Council be recommended to welcome the report and to agree the response of the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport to the recommendations and their implementation as set out in the action plan attached as appendix 1 to this report.

 

 

1.              Background

 

1.1       The Place Scrutiny Committee, at the meeting on 28 March 2023, agreed to establish a Review Board to undertake a Scrutiny Review of Pothole Management. The scope of the review encompassed policies and procedures for defect reporting, quality assurance, pothole repair techniques, and in particular examined the approach to repairing clusters of potholes due to the level of interest expressed by residents. The review also examined the budget available for pothole repairs and the additional investment agreed for highway maintenance.

 

2.         Supporting information

 

2.1          The Scrutiny Review of Pothole Management is welcomed by the Department and in particular the opportunity afforded by this review to consider the effectiveness of the existing approach to pothole management and potential areas for improvement.

 

2.2       The Department’s response to the Review Board’s recommendations is set out in the action plan attached at appendix 1 to this report.

 

3.         Conclusion and reasons for recommendations  

 

3.1       The Scrutiny Review has highlighted a number of areas for improvement in our approach to pothole management and the need to lobby Government for better long-term funding for local road maintenance and changes to the way utility company reinstatement works are regulated.

 

3.2       It is recommended that Cabinet agrees to the implementation of the action plan as detailed in appendix 1.

 

 

 

RUPERT CLUBB

Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

 

Contact Officer: Karl Taylor

Email: karl.taylor@eastsussex.gov.uk

 

 

 

 

local members

All

 

BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS

None