Issue - meetings

(Safer, Cleaner and Transport Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report.

Mover: Councillor S.Kane, Safer, Greener & Transport Portfolio Holder

Councillor S. Kane presented a report seeking a supplementary estimate for matching funding for the Local Highways Panel to implement a number of highway schemes in the District.

Report as first moved ADOPTED

RESOLVED:

That a District Development Fund supplementary of £100,000 for highway improvement to match fund the contribution from Essex County Council for the Epping Forest Local Highways Panel, to implement highway improvement schemes within the District for 2018/19 be approved.

(Safer Greener & Transport Portfolio Holder) to consider the attached report (C-013-2018/19).

Decision:

To agree to recommend to the Council a supplementary DDF estimate of £100,000 in 2018/19 to match fund the contribution from Essex County Council for the Epping Forest Local Highways Panel to implement highway improvement schemes within the District.

The Safer, Greener and Transport Portfolio Holder introduced the report asking for match funding for the Local Highways Panel with the County Council.

The Epping Forest Local Highways Panel (LHP) was formed in 2009. It consists of eight elected Councillors, four from County and four from District. The Panel was supported by Essex Highways and carried out highway improvement schemes within the District.

The County Council had offered to match fund £100,000 for the LHP to implement schemes within the District. If match funding was agreed by the Council then a number of highway schemes would be enabled in the District which would otherwise not get funding. 

The ECC Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation Councillor Kevin Bentley wrote to the Leader of the Council on 24 May 2018, offering to match fund up to £100,000 of District Council contribution to the Panel. Given that the entire available budget for the LHP has been committed, the additional funding, £200,000 in total, would enable the delivery of a number of priority schemes which would otherwise not be possible.

Councillor Mohindra postulated that there may be an opportunity for more than £100,000, as the ECC had set aside a certain amount of money subject to all Highway Panels agreeing to match funds a certain amount.  He thought that not all of them agreed to match fund and so there was the potential for them to come back to us with more to offer.  Councillor C Whitbread agreed and said that if there were more funds available then we would be interested. We needed to keep a watch in brief on this. There were a lot of schemes that we were bringing forward. But it should be kept in mind that money was finite and that we had to bear in mind our own finances.

Councillor Lea was in favour of this to happen although she was not happy with ECC who she thought did not listen to local councils on highway matters. Councillor C Whitbread noted her frustration but believed that communication was getting better.

Decision:

To agree to recommend to the Council a supplementary DDF estimate of £100,000 in 2018/19 to match fund the contribution from Essex County Council for the Epping Forest Local Highways Panel to implement highway improvement schemes within the District.

Reasons for Proposed Decision:

To enable highway improvement schemes to be implemented over and above those for which funding is available.

Other Options for Action:

The Council can decline the offer of match funding.