Issue - meetings

Councillor Maureen Penny, Cabinet Member for Highways, Maintenance, and Waste Services along with the Director of Strategic Development, submitted a joint report setting out details and the reasons for introduction of a street works permit scheme into Swindon to manage works on the highway network. Introduction of a permit scheme will contribute towards delivery of the Council Plan.

Councillor Penny advised Cabinet that the introduction of this scheme would give officers more authority to check and control road works on the Borough’s network.

Councillors Emma Bushell and Vinay Manro asked a range of questions to which Councillor Penny and the Service Manager, Transport Planning, Development & Streetworks Management responded at the meeting.

        i.            Why had the Council not introduced this sooner? The Council wished to learn from the experiences from other authorities. Additional work was needed to enhance the IT system to implement a permit scheme.

       ii.            What mitigations or risks had other councils identified? None has been brought to the Council’s attention requiring mitigation.  

     iii.            Does the Council have adequate, existing powers? Currently, the Council has fewer powers as it cannot issue permits. The new scheme would provide this as well as additional enforcement powers.

     iv.            Have the software upgrade and ongoing licensing issues been taken into account? The Council has now moved on to the new software, which has the capability to manage a street works licence scheme.

Councillor Russell Holland, the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Commercialisation, Education, and Skills invited the Cabinet Member and Officers to produce a suitable ‘info-graphic’ or equivalent to describe how the process would work.

Resolved: (1) That it be agreed in principle  to the introduction of a Street Works Permit Scheme subject to consultation and to note the detail of the scheme be determined by the cabinet member for Highways, Maintenance and Waste Services

(2) That the Director of Strategic Development be authorised to proceed with a consultation, as prescribed under Regulations, to introduce a Street Works Permit Scheme into Swindon.

The reasons for the decision and alternative options are as set out in the report to the meeting.

(Councillor Brian Ford, Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, left the meeting at the end of this item.)