Highway maintenance plan

4.0 Service delivery

4.1 Responsibilities

Responsibility for highway maintenance lies with Hartlepool Council as the local Highway Authority. The Highway Agency (delivered by National Highways) is responsible for the A19 with in Hartlepool's boundaries.

All matters of policy, funding and standards of performance are the sole responsibility of the Hartlepool Council to specify and the implementation of any activity is the responsibility of the Council and its appointed service deliverers.

It is the statutory duty of the highway authority to maintain that part of the highway defined as being maintainable at public expense. This duty is presently consolidated in S 41 of the Highways Act 1980. Under S 56 of the Act any person may apply to the courts for an order requiring the highway authority to take remedial action in cases of alleged non-repair by that authority that may also face an action for damages resulting from failure to maintain the highway.

S 58 of the Act provides that in the event of an action it shall be a defence to show that the road was kept in a reasonable state of repair having regard to the traffic using it, the standard of maintenance appropriate to its use and public safety.

S 150 of the Act requires the highway authority to clear obstructions from the highway resulting from the accumulation of snow or from the falling down of banks on the side of the highway, or from any other cause. The Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 introduced an amendment to S41 of the Highways Act 1980 which appears to extend the requirement to undertake pre-salting of the network to also include footways. The revision requires the highway authority to take such measures, as are "reasonably practicable" within the resources available.

Road openings in the highway executed by or on behalf of statutory undertakers under the provisions of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA) are backfilled and maintained by the organisation making them. The role of the highway authority is mainly that of coordinating and controlling road works and designating traffic sensitive routes and structures of special engineering difficulty.

The Council maintains the Streetworks Register, carries out a co-ordination role and regulates all activities on the highway.

There is a wide range of other legislation affecting highway maintenance, either directly or indirectly, imposing powers or duties on highway authorities.

4.2 Service delivery arrangements

The principles of the current partnering arrangements for the delivery of the highway services in Hartlepool were approved by the Council as a means of delivering quality.

All future highway service delivery arrangements are reviewed so that they better reflect on outcomes focused services, based upon the principals of Best Value and sustainability.

The key principles of the overall strategy will be:

  • trusting long term relationships
  • responsive and effective service delivery managed locally

4.3.Procurement strategy

The council is being driven from numerous directions to develop its approach to procurement, including national policy such as the National Procurement Strategy and the Gershon Efficiency Review, and local policy such as the Best Value Performance Plan and other council strategies and policies.

The requirements of these various documents have resulted in the Council's 2002 procurement strategy being revisited and revised.

4.4 Client management

The main roles of the client are:

  • to advise the Council in respect of all matters concerning highway maintenance
  • to represent the Council on highway maintenance issues
  • to manage appropriate Council budgets and programmes
  • to manage all highway maintenance contracts to effect service delivery.

4.5 Engineering consultancy

An Engineering Consultancy service is currently provided both in house and, through a framework agreement, by private sector consultancy.

The Engineering Consultancy provides design services defined as follows:

Design Services — include the work necessary to provide support for individual schemes forming part of network management programmes of work.

The actual services included are: -

  • design services
  • technical audit
  • transportation studies
  • structures inspection, assessment and strengthening
  • other services.

The Engineering Consultancy contract is therefore wide ranging with some functions linked directly to highway maintenance and others with an indirect linkage. The performance of the consultants are assessed using the framework of performance assessment. Contract management arrangements include liaison meetings, progress reports, budgetary control and annual reviews of the service specification and operation.

4.6 Partnered works contracts

The Tees Valley Authorities have combined to deliver savings through competitive tendering for use by the 5 Authorities.

The Council's Highways, Traffic and Transport Section (HTT) provide the general highway maintenance provisions. The services covered include:

  • Highway Safety Inspections
  • Basic maintenance, patching and repairs
  • Maintenance of Traffic Signs
  • Gully Emptying
  • Grass Cutting
  • Flood Damage Repair Works
  • Winter Service
  • Emergency Sweeping
  • Horticultural Maintenance

HTT manage the maintenance of the following:

  • Road Lighting (Works)
  • Road Lighting (Energy)
  • Traffic Regulation Orders
  • Bridge Maintenance
  • Rechargeable Works

Through specialist service delivery contracts we deliver the following services

  • Highway Condition Surveys
  • Planning/Resurfacing/Reconstruction
  • Specialist surface treatments
  • Surface Dressing (Non-Principal Roads)
  • Surface Dressing (Principal Roads)