Agenda item

To consider information about current work being undertaken by Redditch Borough Council in conjunction with Worcestershire County Council to identify local authority responsibility for areas of land and suitable maintenance arrangements.

(Report attached)

(No specific ward relevance)

The Chairman reminded Members that this topic had been suggested following a discussion on suitable items for inclusion in the Committee’s Work Programme for 2013/14.  The Environmental Services Manager introduced the report, which he informed Members outlined the working relationship between the Council and Worcestershire County Council (WCC).  It was confirmed that currently the Council manages the maintenance of WCC’s assets across the Borough.  Both authorities are conscious of the demand placed on limited resources and the need to find better and more effective ways of working.  A service level agreement (SLA) was already in place based on this working arrangement, but required updating and formalising.

The working relationship has evolved over a number of years due to the WCC Highways Partnership Team being based at the Town Hall some years ago.  This relationship has been built on and regular meetings between both councils have taken place over the last twelve months in order to establish how the councils can assist each other and make decisions at a more strategic service deliver level. The Environmental Services Manager provided details of what would be included within the revised SLA and this would include the Council’s adverse weather policy and a Lengthsman Scheme which covered additional services.  The SLA would ensure that the role of each authority was clearly set down in one place.  Confirmation of WCC’s acceptance of the SLA was currently awaited at which point the document would be passed to the Legal Team for comment.  It was acknowledged that the Lengthsman Scheme had taken some considerable time to be put in place and the Environmental Services Manager explained that this due to the work within it being very specific and the Council wished to broaden this out further to create further income.

The following points were raised and discussed in detail:

·         Land or buildings which were privately owned and in particular the buildings by the Redditch Railway Station.  The Executive Director, Planning and Regeneration, Regulatory and Housing Services agreed to provide Members with an update on the current position of these buildings.

·         The amount (and locality) of land which was not owned by either the Council or WCC but which the Council maintained and the cost of this to the Council.

·         The New WCC Geographical Information System (GIS) which the Council would be able to access in order to have up to date information available immediately.

·         Responsibility for pathways (it was confirmed that a further report on this topic would be received at the November meeting).

·         How Members could assist by reporting any issues within their own ward.

·         The SLA being made available for the Committee to scrutinise (the Environmental Services Manage confirmed this would be available once accepted by WCC).

Although the report was informative, Members agreed that a further report or presentation would be helpful which provided details of land, its locality and size, which was not owned by either Council but which was maintained by this Council, together with details of the cost incurred by the Council.  The Environmental Services Manager informed Members that it was likely this information would be more readily available when the new GIS system was in place.

RESOLVED that

1)    a report detailing the new Service Level Agreement between Redditch Borough Council and Worcestershire County Council regarding the maintenance of all County Council land assets across the Borough be added onto the Committee’s work programme to be considered when available; and

2)    the report be noted.